1 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the Bob Left Sets podcast. 2 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: My guest today is Jay Cooper. Jay, you called me 3 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: about your old client, Rod Temperton, right, I was writing 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: about Quincy Jones. Can you tell me more about Rod? 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 2: Yes. Rod was originally a member of heat Wave that 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: I represented, who had a number of major hits and 7 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 2: most of them were written by Rod Temperton. And I 8 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 2: was representing heat Wave, and then Rod, when he left 9 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,279 Speaker 2: heat Wave, retained me to continue his representation of him 10 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: as a songwriter. Well, it was a heat Wave. He 11 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: wrote Boogie Knights and Always in Forever a number of 12 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: other hits. And then evidently Quincy Jones had heard of 13 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 2: these records and he was doing an album with Michael Jackson, 14 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: and he called. I got a hold of Rod. Rod 15 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 2: told me about it, came over here into Los Angeles, 16 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 2: and Quincy hired him to come here and to do 17 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 2: an album with Michael Jackson. And that album turned out 18 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:29,040 Speaker 2: to be the songs that Rod wrote for it. 19 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: So like back in the day with heat Wave, how'd 20 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: you get clients? Were you actively searching or once you 21 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: made your name they came to you. 22 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 2: I never actively searched, exactly but they came to be. 23 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: They were recommended to be by producer in London whose 24 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 2: name at the moment I don't remember. 25 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: Let's go back to the beginning. Did you always plan 26 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: to be an entertainment attorney. 27 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 2: No, I planned to be a musician from the time 28 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: I was a little kid. I wanted to be a musician, 29 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 2: That's all I wanted. I studied music from the time 30 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 2: I was three years old. My father was a musician, 31 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 2: and I was ready when I finished high school to 32 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 2: go off and to get on the road with a band. 33 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 2: And my parents said, no, no, you My parents were Jewish. 34 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 2: Of course, that means you have no choice. You have 35 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 2: to go to law school or medical school. So they 36 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 2: introduced me to a lawyer and they said, okay, I'll 37 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 2: go to law school, but I got to find a 38 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 2: music school too, So I founded DePaul University in Chicago, 39 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 2: where I grew up, and I had a music school 40 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 2: of law school, and it turned out they were in 41 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 2: the same building, so it was perfect. I did my 42 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 2: law classes in the morning and my music classes in 43 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 2: the afternoon, and I worked my way through school playing music, 44 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 2: playing with various bands and things like that. The Chicago 45 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 2: area and I finished law school, took the bar exam. 46 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 2: It was three days and day four I left with 47 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 2: the band and ultimately came to California. And I was 48 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 2: working here in California as a musician for a number 49 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 2: of years, and eventually that's the story I've told a 50 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 2: long time. How I got into law was through drugs. 51 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 2: What this was My music friends were getting busted for 52 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 2: possession and I was the only one they knew who 53 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 2: had a law degree, and so they asked me to 54 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 2: see if I could help them out. So I took 55 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 2: the bar exam and started doing helping them with their 56 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 2: drug cases. And while I was doing drug cases, they said, 57 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 2: can you read this record contract? Can you read this 58 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 2: television contract? Can you read this movie contract? So I 59 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 2: opened a little office in Beverly Hills, and that's where 60 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 2: I started. 61 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: Okay, so what were this what were you know, marijuana? 62 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: I won't say it's exactly legal, but close to it 63 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: in California. What was it like in the fifties. 64 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: Well, it was, it was It was not bad. It 65 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 2: was nothing particularly wrong. Musicians many were on marijuana, some 66 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 2: were on hard drugs. Bands used to have like four 67 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 2: different kinds of musicians and they would have the hard 68 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 2: drug musicians, the marijuana musicians, the drinker musicians, and the 69 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: straits who did nothing. And so when you lost the 70 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 2: trombone player, you had to find somebody. You had to 71 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 2: find somebody who fit in that category with the tron 72 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 2: buempare also a druggie or was he also a drinker 73 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 2: or was he something else? So musicians were not at 74 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 2: that time, and I don't and I guess since they 75 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 2: were not. They didn't carry guns, they didn't carry knives, 76 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 2: they weren't violent. They they were more i would say, 77 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 2: more mellow and interested in their in their careers and 78 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 2: their their horns than they were in anything else. 79 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: Now, you said your father was a musician. Was he 80 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: a full time musician at one time? Yes, he was, 81 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: And tell me more about his career. 82 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 2: He was. He was a marvelous musician. He was in 83 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 2: a very famous band called the Wayne King Orchestra. They 84 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 2: were from the They used to play the Aragon Ballroom 85 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: in Chicago. They had a weekly broadcast from there, and 86 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 2: he was the lead saxophone player and the singer in 87 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 2: that and he did that for many years. 88 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: Okay. And you started taking music lessons as young. 89 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 2: Age, Yes, they're three years old. 90 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: Three years old? 91 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 2: Three years old? 92 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: What the piano at three? 93 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 2: No, My father gave me a little soprano saxophone, a 94 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 2: very small little sopran which I still have to this day. 95 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: And I played it for a year or two till 96 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 2: my teeth fell out. And while I was waiting for 97 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 2: my teeth to grow in, I went to piano, and 98 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 2: then eventually to clarinet, and then back to saxophone, and 99 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 2: then added flute over the years. 100 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:16,239 Speaker 1: And what instrument did he play? 101 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 2: He played saxophone, he played saxophone, and he played trumpet, 102 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:22,239 Speaker 2: and he played clarinet. 103 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: And do you have any siblings? 104 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 2: I had a sister, yes, And was she older younger? 105 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 2: She was younger, seven years or five years younger, But 106 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 2: she never was a performer. 107 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: Okay, So in this era, in the thirties and forties, 108 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: you're playing your instrument at home? Are you playing out 109 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 1: with school bands, bands and halls? What's it like? 110 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 2: Well, of course I was in high school. I was 111 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 2: in the school band, I was in the school orchestra, 112 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 2: I was in the pep band, I was in the 113 00:06:55,720 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 2: marching band. I was doing all of that, doing my studies. Uh, 114 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 2: and then uh, forming bands outside. We would play the 115 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 2: local the local park houses and all that. The parks 116 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 2: all had a building where you could have dances and 117 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 2: things like that. And that's what I was doing, and 118 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 2: that I was playing weddings and playing dances and playing 119 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 2: various things of that nature. Yeah, enough to make a 120 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 2: living to pay my way through school. 121 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: And what kind of music were you playing? 122 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 2: Big band type music or big band a lot or 123 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 2: play small bands and weddings? I played Polish weddings, Jewish weddings, 124 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 2: Greek weddings, Italian weddings, played them all. We played the 125 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 2: polkas at the at the the Polish weddings, we played 126 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 2: seven eight time music. In Greek weddings, we played all 127 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:03,679 Speaker 2: the Jewish music, the Klasberg type of music. Played anything. 128 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: And were you playing in multiple acts multiple bands? 129 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 2: Was there one multiple multiple? I was a free lance musician. 130 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 2: I'll take any call. 131 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: Was the union involved at all at that time? 132 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 2: Yes? I joined. I would remember the union by fifteen. 133 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: Yes, now the union is almost irrelevant. But was the 134 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: union in control? Everybody worked were a member of the union. 135 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 2: Back then, everybody worked through the union because they paid 136 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 2: you had minimum minimum per minimum salaries per gig that 137 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 2: you played, and that's where you got all your jobs. 138 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,679 Speaker 2: You went down to the union like on Saturday afternoon 139 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 2: and you hung around and somebody say, hey, we're looking 140 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 2: for a saxophone player for Saturday night. I'm looking for 141 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 2: this for Sunday night. I'm looking for this. And that's 142 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 2: how you got your jobs. 143 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 1: So you said you graduated from law school, you took 144 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: the bar, and then you immediately went on the road. 145 00:08:58,440 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: Tell me about that. 146 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, I got it. The first thing was I got 147 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 2: a call from a band called Larry Fhoteen. He was 148 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 2: an originally he had his own band. He was an 149 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 2: original arranger, I should say, for the Sammy Kay Orchestra. 150 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 2: And we went to New York, worked around, worked the 151 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 2: East coast. We were drove in cars, three or four 152 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 2: separate cars a group of us, and we were working 153 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 2: the west East coast. And then I got a call 154 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 2: from the band called Henry Bussey band that was a 155 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 2: big band in the days. Henry Bussy was originally a 156 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 2: first trumpet player for the Paul Whitebolt Orchestra, and then 157 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 2: he had an orchestra. He was based out of Los Angeles, 158 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 2: and I got a call they lost their elite outdo 159 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 2: player the Midwest. So I was doing a record date 160 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 2: in Cincinnati at that time with the Larry Foteen band, 161 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 2: and so I called around to see if I get 162 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 2: a sub for me, and I found a sub, and 163 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 2: I called my parents. They drove the sub down to 164 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 2: Cincinnati where I was, and they drove me to where 165 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 2: I had to meet the band with Henry Bussey band. 166 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 2: And two weeks later that same year, I was in 167 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 2: California and I said, this is for me. 168 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: So how did this band know of you? 169 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 2: Well, I was recommended by another saxophone player. I guess 170 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 2: he got the call and he didn't want to go out, 171 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 2: and so he recommended me somebody I hadn't met at 172 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 2: Depault at music school. 173 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,839 Speaker 1: So, okay, you're in Los Angeles, then what goes on? 174 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 2: I'm in Los Angeles and now, of course I'm looking 175 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 2: for work and I did so many people except the band. 176 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 2: I arrived and I used to go down with my 177 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 2: horn to the Musicians Union, which was at eight seventeen 178 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 2: Vine Street in those days. I go there every day 179 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 2: with mount horns to practice because I was living in 180 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 2: a little apartment in Hollywood and you couldn't practice your 181 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 2: instruments there, so I would walk a mile to a 182 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 2: local forty seven on Vine Street. I practiced my horns, 183 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 2: and then they also had rehearsal rooms there. And then 184 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 2: one of the bands heard me playing practicing and they said, hey, 185 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 2: we need an alto player. So I joined that band. 186 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 2: It was a rehearsal band, and you met a lot 187 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 2: of musicians, with a lot of great musicians there through 188 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 2: the rehearsal band. Because we used to we used to 189 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 2: play charts for all the arrangers used to bring in 190 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:49,079 Speaker 2: their charts try them out, and so we got to 191 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 2: know all the arrangers. I got to know all these musicians, 192 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 2: and I started getting calls for work and I would 193 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 2: go out with I'd go out with Nat Cole, I'd 194 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,439 Speaker 2: go out with Bobby Darren. I was out with Frank 195 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 2: Sinatra for quite a while. I was out with I 196 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 2: went out with the Less Brown Band. I went out 197 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 2: with the Charlie Charlie Barnett band. I was part of 198 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 2: Baited Ferguson's band, and I did a lot of Latin bands. 199 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 2: I was playing Latin bands and used to Sunday night 200 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 2: on I had the Palladium Bowroom in La used to 201 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 2: have five six bands doing Latin Night. On Sunday, you'd 202 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 2: have two thousand of latinos dancing. It was incredible and 203 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 2: sometimes I'd play with four of the five bands. It 204 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 2: was just a great time. There was lots of opportunity. 205 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 2: There was ballrooms everywhere in La. There was jazz clubs, 206 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 2: there was every studio had full symphony orchestras. So you 207 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 2: had seven full time symphony orchestras in the studios. You 208 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 2: had three networks, they all had full time orchestras. And 209 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:02,319 Speaker 2: there was clubs everywhere, so there were opportunities to play. 210 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 2: Was enormous. I was became the I was the benefactor 211 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 2: of that, and so the beneficiary I should say. 212 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: Once you were in La, did you go on the 213 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: road again or did you stay? 214 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 2: Yes? Yes, I would go out and go out and 215 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 2: come back. Yeah. 216 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 1: So what was it like being on the road in 217 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: the fifties as opposted today? 218 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 2: Well, I can't tell you about the road today, but 219 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 2: I can tell you about it then. It was. It 220 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 2: was fine, It was there was rarely any problems of 221 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,959 Speaker 2: any sort. You would go out for three weeks, four weeks, 222 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 2: five weeks and then come back. You know, Uh, you 223 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 2: worked in the big ballrooms. There were ballrooms. Every every 224 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 2: city had ballrooms right either inside the city or on 225 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 2: the outskirts of the city, or and you had theaters 226 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 2: where they you would play between the movies. You would 227 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 2: you would be on the stage and the movie theater 228 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 2: played between that. Or the big dance halls. Every every 229 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 2: city had a big dance hall somewhere. And it was 230 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 2: wonderful to keep running into run into other bands. And 231 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 2: one of the great things was one time I was 232 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 2: with the Less Brown Band and we were in I 233 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:16,560 Speaker 2: think it was may have been Salt Lake, I'm not 234 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 2: positive at the moment, but we were in the hotel. 235 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 2: And of course, when you're on the bus and all that, 236 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 2: you're dressing your jeans, your shirt, you're kind of ragged 237 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 2: and all that, particularly when you're driving three miles four 238 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 2: hundred miles a day. And we were a bunch of 239 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 2: us were standing outside when we're at this hotel, and 240 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 2: here comes the Count Basie band pulling up the stay 241 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 2: of the same hotel. They all got off the bus 242 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 2: in suits and times they looked like they just they 243 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 2: just were dressed for the case. It was just wonderful 244 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 2: to see. It was a great time. It was a 245 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 2: great time, Okay. 246 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: The rock and roll musicians wanted to go on the 247 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: road to meet the girls, to do drugs. Was it 248 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: the same in your era? 249 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 2: No, No, it was, it was I suppose there will 250 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 2: always be some of those. There were certainly a number 251 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 2: of people on hard drugs and things like that. But no, 252 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 2: we were all there for the music. We were there 253 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 2: for the music, not for the girls. Uh. We were 254 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 2: there for the music, definitely, okay. 255 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: And what was it like being Jewish on the road. 256 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 2: Nothing, You didn't know you were Jewish or anything else. 257 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 1: And what about when you had toured with black musicians? 258 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 2: What was that like? Oh, well, you had to be 259 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 2: you had to be very careful where you would stay. 260 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 2: But there was no there was no no particular, no 261 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 2: particular problem. The problem with when black musicians at that 262 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 2: time was they had to live with what they called 263 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 2: the Green Book, which I'm sure you know about, which 264 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 2: was the list of places where they could stay, where 265 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 2: they could eat. Uh. And so that was always difficult. 266 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 2: But uh, that was always difficult, probably still difficult to 267 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 2: this day. Other than that, it was generally generally fine. 268 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 2: We you know, you knew what hotels to stay at 269 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 2: you knew where they were where. It was acceptable to 270 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 2: have musicians and things like that, but generally that time 271 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 2: there was not a lot of them. There was a 272 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 2: crazy craziness going on with in the bands. It was 273 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 2: there was pretty pretty normal. People were pretty serious about 274 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 2: what they were doing. 275 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: So what would you and the other band members do 276 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 1: when you were not on stage, when you were on 277 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: the bus or in the hotel room? How would you 278 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: pass the time? 279 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 2: Uh? Well, I always sat in the back of the bus. 280 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 2: The leader always had in the front of the bush. 281 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 2: The girl singer always had in the front of the bus. 282 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 2: Uh So everybody had their place where they use They said, 283 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 2: I like to sit in the back. You read, you read, 284 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 2: you're looking to see, you talk to you, talk to 285 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 2: your friends. Nothing dramatic, nothing dramatic. 286 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: Okay. So from the time that you came to Los 287 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: Angeles till you opened your office, how long a period 288 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 1: of time was that? 289 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,400 Speaker 2: About three or four years, I guess. 290 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: Okay. So in that three or four years, excuse me, 291 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: you were practicing. 292 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 2: No law, no, not at all whatsoever. 293 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 1: Okay. So you have these friends, they get into varying 294 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: scraps with drugs. You're a newbie lawyer, So how do 295 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: you figure out how to defend them? 296 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 2: You do a lot of quick reading. It was it 297 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 2: was fairly simple. Let me take an example. There was 298 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 2: a lot of clubs on Sunset Boulevard, amongst other places. 299 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 2: So I be playing that. There was the Macambo, there 300 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 2: was Ciro's, there was the Crescendo, there was the Interlude. 301 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 2: There was a number of clubs there, amongst other places, 302 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 2: of course, all around the city. So let's say we 303 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 2: were working at the Macombo, all the clubs, everything closed 304 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 2: to two in the morning. At two in the morning, 305 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 2: we will be packing up. The cops would be backstage 306 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 2: and they say to the to the guy, open up 307 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 2: your case. Okay. They opened the cases, so there'd be 308 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 2: some drugs in it. Musicians didn't. It was easy for 309 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,639 Speaker 2: the cops because musicians didn't carry knives, they didn't carry guns, 310 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 2: they didn't resist the rest. They weren't violent. So they 311 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:41,479 Speaker 2: were giving it a rest document and saying you got 312 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 2: the peer in court at such and such a time. 313 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 2: It was clearly illegal search and seizure. There was a 314 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:50,680 Speaker 2: motion we used to make at that time called nine 315 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 2: nine to five. I don't know what it's called today, 316 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 2: and we may go down to the court and make 317 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 2: a motion of illegal search and season probable cause to 318 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 2: accost them, and we walk out the door. And usually 319 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 2: I'd walk out the door with a contract or motion 320 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 2: picture contract or a television contract or some kind of 321 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 2: contract to review. And so I studied a lot. 322 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: Okay, how long after you started practicing law did you 323 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 1: stop playing music professionally? 324 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 2: Probably another seven eight years something like that. 325 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: Well, really, so, did you think that you were living 326 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: the dream in your music career or was there a 327 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: rung above that you were trying to reach. 328 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 2: Well, my rung was to be a studio musician, to play, 329 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 2: to play record and all that. And I was starting 330 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:56,159 Speaker 2: to get a lot of very good work in town. 331 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 2: I was achieving it. And then I was trying to 332 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 2: to do both. I was trying to do the loan, 333 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:05,160 Speaker 2: I was trying to do music. So one day, when 334 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:08,719 Speaker 2: I was driving home, I fell asleep at the wheel. 335 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 2: Fortunately I was not in a bad accident, and I realized, 336 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 2: I have to make a choice. I can't continue to 337 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 2: do both. 338 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: And how hard was it to give up the music? Emotionally? 339 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:23,680 Speaker 2: Very difficult? 340 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: And when you stopped, did you continue to play your 341 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: horn or did you put it down because it was 342 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: too painful to play? 343 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 2: No. I continued to play my horn. I continued to 344 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 2: do things not quite as much, and I would join 345 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 2: some local My training was, my training was my teachers 346 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 2: were in Chicago Siphony, so my training, my training was 347 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 2: classical music. So I started to do with local community 348 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 2: orchestras and things like that, which I continued to do 349 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 2: for a long time. 350 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: Okay, so you're in Beverly Hills, you have your office. 351 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 1: What's the legal landscape like that? Are you a party 352 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:14,640 Speaker 1: of one? Are there ten people like you? The big 353 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: law firms predate this. What's it like? 354 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 2: Well, I couldn't get a job because I was not 355 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,679 Speaker 2: ready to give up my music. I was looking around 356 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 2: for a place. So I was trying to figure out 357 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 2: what to do. And so I got a little space. 358 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:36,159 Speaker 2: It was an ad in the trades, and I got 359 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 2: a space for services. So I said, okay, I went 360 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,479 Speaker 2: to this place on South Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, 361 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 2: and I got a little office. I would have to 362 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 2: render certain services, like going to court for the attorney 363 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 2: there that I worked for a name with Lou Most 364 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 2: and he would pay me twenty five dollars a court appearance, 365 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 2: but I would have a little office I can work 366 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 2: out of. He never paid me the twenty five dollars, 367 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 2: so I lasted for a couple of years and then 368 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 2: left and got another office on my own. In the meantime, 369 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 2: I was continued to work and I started to work 370 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 2: with the La Philharmonic and I did that for six years. 371 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 2: Along with this, I was doing there playing their saxophone 372 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 2: work and for instance, like pictures that an exhibition with 373 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 2: the symphony, the balo, revels, bleo and things like that 374 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 2: with a saxophone with them. And then for Pop Knights, 375 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 2: I would play saxophone and clarinet for them with them 376 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 2: with the La Philharmonic, I was doing that and that 377 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 2: was terrific. Alongside while I was while I started by 378 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 2: practice of law, and I was doing some record dates 379 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 2: here and there and things of that nature. So I 380 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 2: was doing both until it became impossible. 381 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: And was there enough work because you were constantly in 382 00:22:53,119 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: contact with people. 383 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, there was enough work. That was enough work. 384 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: So now you put down your horn profession and you're 385 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:03,239 Speaker 1: one hundred percent of lawyer. What goes on? 386 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:11,360 Speaker 2: Then? Well, okay, so I I had another, a second 387 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 2: little office on my own while I was going along, 388 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 2: and then I had moved to another one. I practiced, 389 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 2: started to get busy, and then I decided I only 390 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:29,879 Speaker 2: wanted to do entertainment law and I didn't want to 391 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 2: do I was doing what they call door law. The 392 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 2: door law is whatever comes in the door. I did divorces, 393 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 2: I did adoptions, I did taxes, I did personal injury cases. 394 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,919 Speaker 2: I did a zoning case. I did a murder case. 395 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 2: I did a robbery case, and I did I was 396 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 2: doing contract television contracts, mostly picture contracts. So one day 397 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 2: I said, I'm just want to do the entertainment stuff. 398 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,400 Speaker 2: So I hired my first lawyer and I said, you're 399 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 2: going to do everything I don't want to do. And 400 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 2: that was Chuck Hurwitz. Eventually became Cooper and Hurwitz, and 401 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 2: after that it became Cooper Epstein at Hurwitz. Epstein was 402 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 2: somebody who had his own firm across the hall from 403 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:31,959 Speaker 2: us in Beverly Hills, and he was looking to change 404 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 2: his situation and he came over with us with a 405 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 2: couple of attorneys and we started our little firm a 406 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 2: Cooper Epstein. Herwits the seven lawyers, we eventually grew to 407 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 2: about fifty. 408 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 1: Jumping way ahead, how do you transfer from Cooper Epstein 409 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 1: and Hurwitz to Greenberg Towing where you are? 410 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 2: Now? Sure? Our firm was about fifty Cooper Epstein at 411 00:24:56,080 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 2: Hurwitz and we were kind of in the middle. The 412 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 2: firms that I thought were great were much bigger or 413 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 2: much smaller, and so I went looking for a merger 414 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 2: or partner for us, and I found a firm ment 415 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 2: at Phelps and Phillips that they were interested in us. 416 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:23,159 Speaker 2: Not everybody wanted to go, so we closed down. I 417 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 2: went there with about fifteen lawyers. It was not for me. 418 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 2: I discovered it as soon as I got there. This 419 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,080 Speaker 2: wasn't for me for a lot of personal reasons which 420 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 2: I won't go into. It's a good firm with very 421 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:40,239 Speaker 2: good lawyers, but it just didn't fit. It didn't fit me, 422 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 2: all right. I didn't fit it one or the other. 423 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 2: And out of the blue, Out of the blue, I 424 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 2: get a call from Larry Hoffman, who was one of 425 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 2: the founders of the firm ris. The fir was Greenberg 426 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 2: Troway Hoffman. I called me and said, we just opened 427 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 2: in California, which they did. That year, and we're looking 428 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 2: for somebody to start to our entertainment practice. You want 429 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 2: to come. Since I had only moved one time and 430 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 2: the idea of moving it was a bore to me, 431 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,679 Speaker 2: I said, I don't think so. So he talked to 432 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 2: me as a company taking a trip, which they wanted 433 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 2: to send me at first class to the New York 434 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 2: office or Miami office and bring a friend of yours 435 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:26,920 Speaker 2: and come and take a look at us. So I did. 436 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 2: I was impressed. I was impressed with a firm. I 437 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 2: was impressed with what they were doing. I had the lawyer, 438 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 2: the quality of lawyers. I came back, and the idea 439 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:46,640 Speaker 2: of moving again was somewhat a boring to me, so 440 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 2: I said no. I said, well, think about it. So 441 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 2: I did. And as my life at the men at 442 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 2: Phelps was not great as far as I've concerned, what 443 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:06,160 Speaker 2: I felt over there, and I was feeling really bad, 444 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 2: I said, I don't know if I could stay here. 445 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 2: I finally called Larry back after about six months, and 446 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 2: I said, Larry, you're still interested. He says, yes, come over, 447 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 2: he says, and bring and get whoever you want. So 448 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 2: I came, and I started calling the people who had 449 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 2: worked with me and for me my previous life, and 450 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 2: they started coming one by one and including my including 451 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 2: my partner, I Rapstein, and a whole bunch of them 452 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 2: came and I've been with the firm ever since. It's 453 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 2: an incredible firm. The broad knowledge and experience and quality 454 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 2: of lawyer here is phenomenal. It's a big firm, but 455 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 2: doesn't function like a big firm as far as we're concerned, 456 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 2: and I treat our department as a boutique that sits 457 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 2: in a big firm. They have made the experience quite well, 458 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 2: quite excellent. You feel like they're giving you the reins 459 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 2: and saying you run with it. It's yours. And that's 460 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 2: how it's been. 461 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: So how many years at Manat and how many years 462 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 1: at Greenberg DrAk. 463 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:25,119 Speaker 2: I was a man at about six to seven, I 464 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 2: can't remember exactly. And here I've been here about twenty 465 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 2: years a little over. 466 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: Okay. So when you had fifty with Cooper, Epstein and Horoitz, 467 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: fifty attorneys, and you said you either had to be 468 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 1: smaller or larger, what are the advantages of now being 469 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: with a larger firm? 470 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 2: The advantage of being larger firm than I found here 471 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 2: is the expertise that you can find. There's an x. 472 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,480 Speaker 2: They have an expert on everything. I don't care what 473 00:28:55,520 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 2: it is. You can send out emails I need an 474 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 2: expert on horse maneur in Colorado, and you'll get fifty 475 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 2: year responses. I'm exaggerating slightly, obviously, but there's an expert 476 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 2: on everything here. The quality of lawyer is phenomenal. The 477 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:20,479 Speaker 2: willingness to share and help is phenomenal. They give you 478 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:24,719 Speaker 2: the reins and they say it's yours. You do what 479 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 2: you want to do. They're not telling you how to practice, 480 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 2: they're not limiting your abilities to practice. Be straight, but 481 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 2: follow the law, do what to do, it's right, be honest, 482 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 2: and they give you the tools. And that's all anybody 483 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 2: can ask. 484 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: And what's it like working for somebody else? Is supposed 485 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: to working for yourself. 486 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 2: I feel like I'm working for myself. I don't feel 487 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 2: like I'm working for somebody else. If you want to 488 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 2: know the truth. 489 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: Okay, so what year did you merge with Epstein and Herwitz? 490 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: When when did that happen? 491 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 2: Ha? Well, I didn't merge with it. I mean I 492 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 2: chuck Herwitz. I hired I told you he works for me, 493 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 2: and I made him that. I made him a partner. 494 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 2: We merged with he had about three lawyers. What year 495 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 2: would that be It would take me a while to 496 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 2: compute that. I can't remember. But let's say I've been 497 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 2: here twenty some odd years. I was in mentat about 498 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 2: six to seven years and see ten years there. Probably 499 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 2: we were together previously twenty twenty five years. 500 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 1: I would say, okay, so now you're practicing law. Music 501 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: is unfortunately just a hobby. And you say, you hire 502 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: Chuck Herwitz to do the stuff walks in. It's not entertainment. 503 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: How broad is your entertainment practice? How much is television 504 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 1: movies music? 505 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 2: Fifty percent is music and fifty percent would be television 506 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 2: and motion picture. 507 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: And has it continued like that? 508 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 2: Yes? 509 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 1: And for the uninitiated, what is the difference in those 510 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: two areas. What's the difference in terms of how do 511 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 1: you see it in terms of the music business in 512 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: the movie business. 513 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I can tell you. I could tell you that 514 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 2: straightforward way, which is, in order to be an entertainment 515 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 2: lawyer in these fields, you have to know the business 516 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:40,960 Speaker 2: of what you're in. You have to know the business 517 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 2: of the motion picture business. The business of television, the 518 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 2: business of music. In other words, you have to know 519 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 2: in record business, how records are made, how they're distributed, 520 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 2: what the wholesale is, what retail is, where the money 521 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 2: is flowing from? What a licensing of the music rights? 522 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 2: What is it costs for all of that? Uh is 523 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 2: a What does a record company earn when they sell 524 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 2: a record or today when they're licensing streaming services? What 525 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 2: do they get? What are the deals? Same thing in 526 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 2: motion pictures and television you have to know what does 527 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 2: the director get. What are the fees for directors? What 528 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 2: are the fees for producers? What are the fees for writers? 529 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 2: What does it cost to get an actor? What are 530 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 2: the residuals? What are net profits? What are adjusted gross profits? 531 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 2: What are the deductions can what are the various definitions 532 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 2: what can be deducted from all You have to know 533 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 2: the business, not only the law that affects it, not 534 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 2: only copy. Remember, you have to know copyright because that's 535 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 2: the very foundation of our businesses. Copyright. Copyright is the 536 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 2: reason there is a motion picture business, or a music business, 537 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 2: or television business, because it gives you a copyright, which 538 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 2: gives you ownership, protection of intellectual property rights. So you 539 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 2: have to understand in you have to understand copyright and 540 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 2: copyright law. An example of copyright is the copyright. The 541 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 2: Copyright Act is probably, I don't know, one hundred pages, 542 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 2: two hundred pages Nimber on copyright, which is the major 543 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 2: authority on copyright. It is twelve volumes interpreting the copyright law. Okay, 544 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 2: twelve very thick volumes interpreting that that small little copyright law, 545 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,280 Speaker 2: if you will. Then, as I say, you have to 546 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:37,560 Speaker 2: understand the business of the motion pictures and television and music, 547 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,719 Speaker 2: how the product is distributed, how it's sold, how you 548 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 2: earn your money, who are the recipients of the money. 549 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 2: So you are not just a lawyer, You're a You're 550 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 2: a business person because you have to understand the entire 551 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 2: business of what you are in. And each of them 552 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 2: are different. There's a different different music and television and 553 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 2: motion pictures because the product is different, the creation of 554 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 2: the product is different, the distribution of the product is different, 555 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 2: and the moneies that you received from them is different. 556 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 1: So did you just learn through experience or do you 557 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: read trade papers? How do you keep up? 558 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 2: You have experience, but you read everything, reading every day. 559 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 2: You read the trades, you read the latest publications, you 560 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 2: read the latest litigation lawsuits, you read the decisions. You 561 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:38,920 Speaker 2: read as much as you can about the latest deal making. 562 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:43,360 Speaker 2: You attend seminars, you review, you go to you go 563 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 2: to various conferences. There's no ent toy. There's no end 564 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:53,919 Speaker 2: to learning in this business. There's no time in which 565 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 2: you say I know it. There's no time in which 566 00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 2: you know it at all. There will always be. 567 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 1: Now, this is your profession for a long time. Yes, 568 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:07,799 Speaker 1: do you like it? Do you enjoy it? 569 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 2: I love it, and I enjoy it. I love it. 570 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:12,360 Speaker 2: It's why I'm still doing it. 571 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: Let me ask you this. Let's just assume you were 572 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 1: working solely and I came in and I said, oh, 573 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:22,360 Speaker 1: I have a recording contract or I'm an actor in 574 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:26,400 Speaker 1: a movie. Do you still draft the contracts or do 575 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:30,280 Speaker 1: you just make the deal and then subsidiary attorneys would 576 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:32,280 Speaker 1: get it on paper, so to speak. 577 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 2: Well, at this point I have great associates for me 578 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:40,880 Speaker 2: that are doing drafting and things of that nature. We 579 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:44,880 Speaker 2: have our forms that we accumulated over the years. They're constant, 580 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 2: they're always out of date the day you draw them. 581 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:51,000 Speaker 2: They're out of date. So we're constantly reviewing it. Fortunately 582 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 2: I'm not doing a whole lot of drafting, but I 583 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 2: have great associates that are doing the drafting. But at 584 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,440 Speaker 2: one point I did the drafting, I did the reviewing 585 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 2: and all that. When I first entered the business record, 586 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:08,719 Speaker 2: contracts are three pages. They're now seventy eighty pages. Law 587 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:13,439 Speaker 2: motion picture contracts used to be very simple, very very 588 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:16,759 Speaker 2: straight ahead. Now there are hundreds of pages along When 589 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,239 Speaker 2: you do it, when you do a deal, and sometimes 590 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 2: first I have some clients that do producing, directing, acting, producing, directing, 591 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:29,960 Speaker 2: ake writing, Well, it's it's you now fill about several 592 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:31,919 Speaker 2: volumes of what those contracts are. 593 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:37,239 Speaker 1: Okay, you're practicing law. As I say, you create your 594 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 1: own forms. To a great degree, the attorney is seeing 595 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:45,240 Speaker 1: possibilities down the road, and on both sides of the fence, 596 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:49,440 Speaker 1: both the companies and the talent have not foreseen certain things. 597 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: So to what creed do you try to dot every I, 598 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:56,880 Speaker 1: cross every T How do you stop? And if you 599 00:36:56,920 --> 00:37:00,080 Speaker 1: ever had regrets that you haven't included or four seen. 600 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:05,160 Speaker 2: Something, well, you're always trying to anticipate, and of course 601 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:08,280 Speaker 2: that's what the industry is now going through with AI, right. 602 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:14,120 Speaker 2: I don't think that was much anticipated some time ago, 603 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:17,040 Speaker 2: and people have been thinking about it in the last 604 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 2: couple of years a little bit. It's being addressed. You're 605 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:25,319 Speaker 2: always learning, and you're always playing catch up, and you're 606 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:28,600 Speaker 2: always going back and look at your contracts and see, 607 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:32,200 Speaker 2: you think we have covered this if we go back 608 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:35,719 Speaker 2: and take a look all the time. I can't say 609 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 2: that were anybody is or we are flawless in that regard, 610 00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:43,919 Speaker 2: but we certainly attempt to cover the bases and try 611 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,200 Speaker 2: and anticipate what is coming. That's why we go to seminars, 612 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:52,160 Speaker 2: That's why we talk to people, That's why we review 613 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 2: all of the latest articles on all of this thing 614 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:57,319 Speaker 2: and see what's happening, and then delve into our contracts 615 00:37:57,360 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 2: and see whether we've covered the basis. 616 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 1: Now, in music, there are many attorneys who charge a percentage, 617 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:07,319 Speaker 1: usually five percent. How do people go by hourly? How 618 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: do you do it? 619 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:10,359 Speaker 2: I've done it both ways, and. 620 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:12,879 Speaker 1: What are the advantages disadvantages to both? 621 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 2: Okay, the advantage and disadvantage to percentage is I've talked 622 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 2: to a number of clients, a number of attorneys on 623 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:27,759 Speaker 2: this twenty percent of your clients pay for pay for 624 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:32,120 Speaker 2: the other eighty percent. Okay, Usually when you take percentages, 625 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:34,719 Speaker 2: if you're taking only percentages, it's twenty percent of the 626 00:38:34,719 --> 00:38:38,719 Speaker 2: clients who pay for the pay the bill. Hourly is 627 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:42,880 Speaker 2: straight straight ahead. You're either getting paid or say goodbye. 628 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:48,480 Speaker 2: They're either paid the hours. So some clients we have 629 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:53,759 Speaker 2: on percentage. Some clients we have an hourly. There are 630 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:57,840 Speaker 2: a number of particularly the boutique the smaller firms almost 631 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:02,800 Speaker 2: exclusively do five percenters are five percenters, they do very well. 632 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:05,640 Speaker 2: They do very well, but are they winning all the time. No, 633 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:08,480 Speaker 2: they're winning, but twenty percent better pay the bills for 634 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:14,160 Speaker 2: the eighty Because we are a full service firm, in 635 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:18,719 Speaker 2: which boutiques are not. So we do litigation right. Boutiques 636 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:23,279 Speaker 2: do not do litigation. That's hourly. There rarely is that percentage. 637 00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:28,560 Speaker 2: Rarely is that percentage. Mostly that is our corporate work. 638 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:31,839 Speaker 2: We do corporate work. Boutiques don't do corporork's that's our 639 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:35,320 Speaker 2: that's hourly type of work. Trademark is hourly type of work. 640 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:38,560 Speaker 2: So it all depends on what it is. The advantage 641 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,920 Speaker 2: of a big firmish you can do both. You can 642 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,359 Speaker 2: do some clients on hourly, and some clients on percentage. 643 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:50,600 Speaker 1: Okay, this is a business entertainment in general that is 644 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 1: shady when it comes to payment. So let's say you're 645 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:57,479 Speaker 1: on a five percent how do you know that you're 646 00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:59,960 Speaker 1: actually getting five percent of the total. 647 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:06,400 Speaker 2: Well, hopefully, if you're representing a client, you are representing 648 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:10,359 Speaker 2: a client that you can trust. I recommend that very much. 649 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:14,799 Speaker 2: I wrote. By the way, I wrote an article many 650 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:18,440 Speaker 2: years ago for the Hollywood Reporter. It said. The article 651 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:22,479 Speaker 2: was this, I can tell by meeting somebody a client, 652 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:24,839 Speaker 2: let's say somebody who is a client of somebody, who 653 00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:29,480 Speaker 2: the lawyer is, because clients choose lawyers would like personalities. 654 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:33,400 Speaker 2: By and large, Okay, I wrote that article. It was 655 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:36,680 Speaker 2: a long time ago. And in other way, somebody who's dishonest, 656 00:40:36,719 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 2: do they want an honest lawyer who is going to 657 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:42,040 Speaker 2: tell them that they're dishonest? They don't. They wanted somebody 658 00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 2: to see what they see. If they're a paranoid personality, 659 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:47,319 Speaker 2: they want to find a lawyer who sees the same 660 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:51,680 Speaker 2: things that they say. And well, it's not absolutely true 661 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:55,440 Speaker 2: at all. And the thing was a humorous article. By 662 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:59,080 Speaker 2: and large, there's a lot of truth to that fact. 663 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:05,640 Speaker 2: They both choose lawyers that are few things the way 664 00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:15,600 Speaker 2: they do thinks, and I think we all generally wanted 665 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:20,239 Speaker 2: to represent somebody that we feel are good people and 666 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:24,960 Speaker 2: pay attention to their to their profession and their honest people. 667 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:36,600 Speaker 1: Okay, so you come into the business. Recording is going 668 00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:41,320 Speaker 1: on pretty much the beginnings, the beginning of the century, movies, 669 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:46,280 Speaker 1: television that time, there's some major changes. Let's just focus 670 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:49,960 Speaker 1: on the music business for a change. The Beatles come along, 671 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:55,560 Speaker 1: and they sell more product than anybody previously. Rock comes along, 672 00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:59,080 Speaker 1: Rock starts in the early fifties, sort of fades around 673 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:01,840 Speaker 1: the decade of the City seem it is a huge resurgence. 674 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:06,280 Speaker 1: How does this ultimately affect the contracts in the practice 675 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:06,719 Speaker 1: of law. 676 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:13,480 Speaker 2: Well, Uh, a selling of a record is the selling 677 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:17,320 Speaker 2: of a record. I don't care whether it's a Beatles 678 00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:20,280 Speaker 2: record or an Elvis Presley record or Frank Sorata record. 679 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:23,000 Speaker 2: The selling of a record is still the same the business, 680 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:27,040 Speaker 2: the business aspect is still the same. Uh. The some 681 00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:30,240 Speaker 2: of the players are different. Some of the players are different. 682 00:42:30,640 --> 00:42:34,319 Speaker 2: Some of the people who handle U tip top are 683 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,560 Speaker 2: different than the people who are who are handling classical music. 684 00:42:37,719 --> 00:42:40,840 Speaker 2: It's an example. Okay, there are different players with different 685 00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:47,400 Speaker 2: philosophies and different and different business models. So again you 686 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:50,359 Speaker 2: have to understand the business that you're in, which bit 687 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:54,080 Speaker 2: it is. So the music business has many, many fascets. 688 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:57,080 Speaker 2: It has a there's a classical music business, and I 689 00:42:57,160 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 2: represent several major classical artists. There's a classical music business. 690 00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:05,040 Speaker 2: There's a pop music business. There's a jazz musical business. Uh, 691 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 2: there's a really been blues business. They're different, the numbers 692 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:14,200 Speaker 2: are different, the deals are different, Uh, the payments are different. 693 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:18,120 Speaker 2: So you have to So you have to learn all 694 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,080 Speaker 2: these different fields. Simply because it's music doesn't mean there's 695 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:24,600 Speaker 2: one standard fits all. It doesn't, and one contract doesn't 696 00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:29,680 Speaker 2: fit all. It doesn't. The contracts are different, the style 697 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:32,640 Speaker 2: of making business is different. The people on the other 698 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:37,200 Speaker 2: side are different. The classical music people are different people 699 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:41,719 Speaker 2: than the pop music people. They don't think alike. They 700 00:43:41,719 --> 00:43:44,800 Speaker 2: think differently, They think in different numbers and in different 701 00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:49,680 Speaker 2: ways of doing business. So the music business much like 702 00:43:49,719 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 2: the motion picture but the telephon, they're it's segregated in 703 00:43:53,080 --> 00:43:56,960 Speaker 2: it in and of itself. So you could talk to 704 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:00,000 Speaker 2: the three executives and the music business from different genres. 705 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:02,600 Speaker 2: They're thinking differently and their deals are different. 706 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:07,880 Speaker 1: Okay, So, but the Rocket Hero starts to flourish in 707 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:13,759 Speaker 1: the mid sixties and ultimately contracts change. Okay, there's so 708 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:18,480 Speaker 1: many issues. A. Did the record company want the publishing, B, 709 00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:24,600 Speaker 1: cross collateralization, C free goods, D the raw royalty percentage, 710 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:29,960 Speaker 1: accounting windows. Was that evolving generally and you evolved with it? 711 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:32,960 Speaker 1: Or did you have certain acts you made a stand 712 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:36,120 Speaker 1: such that you were moving the ball for artistry further 713 00:44:36,200 --> 00:44:37,720 Speaker 1: down the playing field. 714 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:43,640 Speaker 2: Well, the deals became when the when the record companies 715 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:46,640 Speaker 2: went to what they called the three sixty deal, that's 716 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:50,320 Speaker 2: probably what you're talking about, in which they not only 717 00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:54,200 Speaker 2: had wanted the record, they wanted the publishing, they wanted 718 00:44:54,239 --> 00:44:57,640 Speaker 2: the touring, they wanted their acting moneies, they wanted everything 719 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,640 Speaker 2: else like that. A number of us was out alone, 720 00:45:00,719 --> 00:45:02,759 Speaker 2: A number of us set up and said hold it, 721 00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:06,000 Speaker 2: hold it, holdly. This is this is an overreach. Okay, 722 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:09,400 Speaker 2: this is a major overreach. There was a lot of 723 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:14,600 Speaker 2: fights about that. Uh at the beginning, we thought there 724 00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:17,400 Speaker 2: was a grab by the companies at that particular time. 725 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:18,040 Speaker 1: Uh. 726 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:22,520 Speaker 2: They they viewed it as they were creating an actor 727 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:26,400 Speaker 2: or had an opportunity to earn all this money, et cetera. 728 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:30,960 Speaker 2: And so they see there were they were a partner 729 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:34,040 Speaker 2: in that or participant in that. They wanted to share 730 00:45:34,239 --> 00:45:39,120 Speaker 2: that we are the talent side represented. The talent said, well, 731 00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:42,480 Speaker 2: wait a minute, you didn't. There's nothing about this. What 732 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:45,440 Speaker 2: you've done is contributed that. Yes, your business is the 733 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:49,120 Speaker 2: record business. Your business is not touring, Your business is 734 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:52,879 Speaker 2: not movies, your business is not publishing. It's not fair. 735 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:55,879 Speaker 2: That battle goes on, that goes onto this, that goes 736 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:59,160 Speaker 2: on to this day as to how far you could go. 737 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:03,759 Speaker 2: Do remember that in the motion picture industry they used 738 00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:07,640 Speaker 2: to have they used to have contracts seven year contracts 739 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:12,680 Speaker 2: are more with actors, and they would hire them and 740 00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:16,719 Speaker 2: they would become they would become the employees, if you will, 741 00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:23,960 Speaker 2: literally of the studio. And there became a revolution amongst 742 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:28,000 Speaker 2: the actor talent that no, that wasn't that wasn't very good, 743 00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:30,160 Speaker 2: and they used what was called then the seven year 744 00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:34,560 Speaker 2: statue to get out of these contracts. And the studios 745 00:46:34,560 --> 00:46:36,560 Speaker 2: that eventually said, well, why are we keeping all these 746 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:40,400 Speaker 2: people on salary? And that was so it had a 747 00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:45,680 Speaker 2: dual response, which was some people said gee, i'd like this, 748 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:48,680 Speaker 2: I like the weekly salary, and others say no, I'm 749 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 2: free now to work for any studio I want. Not simple, 750 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:59,200 Speaker 2: but actors. Actors, when they finally got rid of the 751 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:04,280 Speaker 2: seven year contracts, they started making moneies which they're getting 752 00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:08,040 Speaker 2: up to the twenty million plus salaries and making deals 753 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:09,000 Speaker 2: because they weren't tied. 754 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:13,960 Speaker 1: Okay, let's stay with the movie business. Be in ultimately 755 00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:18,360 Speaker 1: visual entertainment. So in the late sixties and into the seventies, 756 00:47:18,840 --> 00:47:22,680 Speaker 1: the game flips where the talent gains an amazing amount 757 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:27,759 Speaker 1: of control. So tell us what it was like then 758 00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:29,680 Speaker 1: and what it's really like today. 759 00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:34,479 Speaker 2: Well, when the talent found they got in control, would 760 00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:40,400 Speaker 2: you have the Tom Cruises, et cetera. Who will become 761 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:45,160 Speaker 2: necessary to open a film? Right, it all became. It 762 00:47:45,160 --> 00:47:49,880 Speaker 2: all became about opening a film. Previous to that period 763 00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:52,359 Speaker 2: of time, they would put out a film. It would stay, 764 00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:54,080 Speaker 2: it would stay on the boards or stay at as 765 00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:57,480 Speaker 2: theaters for a long time. Now you got to make 766 00:47:57,520 --> 00:47:59,880 Speaker 2: your money over the first few weekends to see if 767 00:47:59,880 --> 00:48:04,719 Speaker 2: it's really sustained the film. When they found that it 768 00:48:04,840 --> 00:48:08,280 Speaker 2: was certain actors like a Tom Cruise as an example, 769 00:48:12,040 --> 00:48:14,600 Speaker 2: they that they could open a film and all of 770 00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:19,840 Speaker 2: a sudden make millions on a weekend, multi millions on 771 00:48:19,920 --> 00:48:24,000 Speaker 2: a weekend. The actors then all of a sudden gained power. 772 00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:26,040 Speaker 2: They said, you want me for your film, this is 773 00:48:26,080 --> 00:48:28,680 Speaker 2: what they're going to have to pay. And the salaries 774 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:32,280 Speaker 2: rose the ten million a picture to fifteen million a picture, 775 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:37,839 Speaker 2: the twenty million of picture and had more because the 776 00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:41,719 Speaker 2: film's companies finally decided they really needed this actor to 777 00:48:41,800 --> 00:48:47,920 Speaker 2: open the film. And so whether it was Julia Roberts 778 00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:53,720 Speaker 2: or whoever, these were the people that the studio started 779 00:48:53,719 --> 00:48:56,760 Speaker 2: to look for and realized that the and the actors 780 00:48:56,760 --> 00:49:01,440 Speaker 2: started to realize that they need us. And so the 781 00:49:01,520 --> 00:49:08,319 Speaker 2: attorneys who representative took advantage on their behalf to maximize 782 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:12,080 Speaker 2: the income that they were receiving, including the back end payments, 783 00:49:12,120 --> 00:49:16,239 Speaker 2: which is now under challenge. The back end payments is 784 00:49:16,280 --> 00:49:18,799 Speaker 2: a big subject right now and probably is the big 785 00:49:18,840 --> 00:49:21,760 Speaker 2: subject of the strikes right now, the back end payments, 786 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:27,759 Speaker 2: because when you get it to certain certain production companies 787 00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:33,160 Speaker 2: today who won't pay a back end. Back end, of course, 788 00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:37,919 Speaker 2: is the money you get for future distribution, future exploitation 789 00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:41,480 Speaker 2: of the film, and so if you have a percentage 790 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:44,120 Speaker 2: of the film you're going to get paid on that. 791 00:49:44,320 --> 00:49:46,719 Speaker 2: Some people are making more money from the back what 792 00:49:46,800 --> 00:49:49,600 Speaker 2: they call the back end, than they are from their 793 00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:53,680 Speaker 2: front up front fees. And that's the current battle that 794 00:49:53,840 --> 00:49:54,799 Speaker 2: goes out to this day. 795 00:49:55,840 --> 00:50:01,160 Speaker 1: Okay, if you read the trades the business public, they 796 00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:05,040 Speaker 1: say that talent prices have gone down in the theatrical 797 00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:10,920 Speaker 1: business because certain name talent is not opened films, and 798 00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:14,080 Speaker 1: some of these films, especially the Marvel movies, et cetera, 799 00:50:14,440 --> 00:50:18,279 Speaker 1: it's less important who the talent is. Have you experienced this. 800 00:50:19,800 --> 00:50:26,239 Speaker 2: I haven't personally experienced it, but I understand it. Some 801 00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:31,080 Speaker 2: of those are Yeah, some of the films of Marble films, 802 00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:33,319 Speaker 2: I understand. Whether they say people going to go see 803 00:50:33,360 --> 00:50:35,400 Speaker 2: whether no matter who's in there. I don't know if 804 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:38,760 Speaker 2: they're completely if that's completely true or not. I haven't 805 00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:41,719 Speaker 2: been able to I haven't examined any figures to that 806 00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:47,120 Speaker 2: aspect of it. But I don't underestimate the power of 807 00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:49,680 Speaker 2: the draw of certain talent in this business. 808 00:50:50,600 --> 00:50:54,440 Speaker 1: Okay, so let you know where the talent is on 809 00:50:54,520 --> 00:50:56,759 Speaker 1: strike right now. By time this year is who knows. 810 00:50:56,840 --> 00:50:59,960 Speaker 1: Theoretically a deal could be made, but let's just talk theore. 811 00:51:00,920 --> 00:51:03,799 Speaker 1: In the old days, the back end was such that 812 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:07,880 Speaker 1: you went to varying platforms. Maybe you were on network, 813 00:51:07,960 --> 00:51:11,120 Speaker 1: then you went into syndication, then you went into physical 814 00:51:11,239 --> 00:51:16,640 Speaker 1: with DVDs, vhs. Whereas with Netflix, let's say they might 815 00:51:16,760 --> 00:51:21,000 Speaker 1: buy out the product and only have it on their platform, 816 00:51:21,080 --> 00:51:24,239 Speaker 1: so you could have a contract with externalities if they 817 00:51:24,280 --> 00:51:28,640 Speaker 1: distributed elsewhere. But if the product is paid for by 818 00:51:28,719 --> 00:51:32,600 Speaker 1: Netflix and sits on Netflix, how would we construct the 819 00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:33,239 Speaker 1: back end? 820 00:51:35,080 --> 00:51:37,840 Speaker 2: Netflix, to my knowledge, does not pay it back end. 821 00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:41,640 Speaker 1: Right, But as a representative of talent and the talent 822 00:51:41,760 --> 00:51:44,399 Speaker 1: is looking for more money, do you see any way 823 00:51:44,400 --> 00:51:44,840 Speaker 1: to do that? 824 00:51:45,520 --> 00:51:51,440 Speaker 2: No? Back Netflix is a great company, but they have 825 00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:53,920 Speaker 2: their own business model, and their business model does not 826 00:51:53,960 --> 00:51:58,799 Speaker 2: call for a back end at all. And they have 827 00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:02,399 Speaker 2: an unusual book they call it back in in which 828 00:52:02,440 --> 00:52:07,000 Speaker 2: they pay you negotiate a deal with them for a number, 829 00:52:07,800 --> 00:52:09,920 Speaker 2: and they take twenty percent of that number, and hey, 830 00:52:09,920 --> 00:52:13,920 Speaker 2: that's your back end, and we'll pay that out within 831 00:52:14,000 --> 00:52:17,600 Speaker 2: two for over the two years after the film has 832 00:52:17,640 --> 00:52:20,479 Speaker 2: been distributed. That's been my experience with them. 833 00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:27,799 Speaker 1: And is that twenty performance based No? Okay, let's talk 834 00:52:27,840 --> 00:52:31,200 Speaker 1: about theatrical in general. You're a student of the game. 835 00:52:31,600 --> 00:52:36,319 Speaker 1: What is the future of theatrical We obviously had the pandemic. 836 00:52:36,800 --> 00:52:41,480 Speaker 1: Business is not completely recovered. The stocks of the theaters 837 00:52:41,480 --> 00:52:45,360 Speaker 1: have gone up and down. The major studios are making 838 00:52:45,440 --> 00:52:48,680 Speaker 1: less product. By the same token, there's more indepredent product 839 00:52:48,719 --> 00:52:50,719 Speaker 1: than ever, although a lot of it does not get 840 00:52:50,760 --> 00:52:54,640 Speaker 1: theatrical distribution. What's going to happen here in the future. 841 00:52:57,000 --> 00:53:05,879 Speaker 2: Well, I can't predict the future. It's right now very uncertain. Uh. 842 00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:10,239 Speaker 2: The I like to go to I like to go 843 00:53:10,280 --> 00:53:13,520 Speaker 2: to the movies. Will the public continue to like to 844 00:53:13,560 --> 00:53:15,320 Speaker 2: go into the movies? I don't know. We had a 845 00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:18,280 Speaker 2: great I think you know, we had a great theater 846 00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:23,080 Speaker 2: complex in Hollywood, the arc Line Theaters in Hollywood, and 847 00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:25,080 Speaker 2: that a lot of us used to like to go to. 848 00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:28,799 Speaker 2: Very much gone. I don't know if it's ever going 849 00:53:28,840 --> 00:53:33,040 Speaker 2: to come back, but it's gone. The enthusiasm of going 850 00:53:33,080 --> 00:53:37,400 Speaker 2: to theaters seems to be less. With the exception of 851 00:53:37,920 --> 00:53:43,799 Speaker 2: Barbie Oppenheimer. So those are so those are two I've 852 00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:47,080 Speaker 2: only I've seen Oppenheimer. I've not seen Barbie yet, but 853 00:53:47,320 --> 00:53:50,919 Speaker 2: some of the some of the the people that work 854 00:53:50,960 --> 00:53:55,880 Speaker 2: here have seen Barbie multiple times. They adore the film, 855 00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:58,360 Speaker 2: and with good reason. I've heard nothing but great things 856 00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:02,680 Speaker 2: at every in every corner, and Oppenheimer was an incredible film. 857 00:54:03,080 --> 00:54:05,560 Speaker 2: But I don't know how many Oppenheimer's or Barbies there's 858 00:54:05,600 --> 00:54:07,880 Speaker 2: going to be. It's going to draw people to the theaters, 859 00:54:07,880 --> 00:54:09,799 Speaker 2: So I don't know. It's a hard one. I like 860 00:54:09,840 --> 00:54:12,120 Speaker 2: to go to the theaters. A lot of people have 861 00:54:12,200 --> 00:54:14,759 Speaker 2: got used to sitting at home and watching the thing 862 00:54:14,840 --> 00:54:19,120 Speaker 2: at home on their couch. What they'll like in the future, 863 00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:23,000 Speaker 2: I don't know. I think we're in between now and 864 00:54:23,080 --> 00:54:25,360 Speaker 2: I don't know where it's going to come out. 865 00:54:25,719 --> 00:54:30,600 Speaker 1: Okay, Now, the agencies, let's leave music aside, where the 866 00:54:30,640 --> 00:54:35,120 Speaker 1: agent really just books live dates. But the agents in 867 00:54:35,200 --> 00:54:39,680 Speaker 1: the visual entertainment field, needless to say, Mike Ovitz comes 868 00:54:39,719 --> 00:54:45,680 Speaker 1: in and has a lot of control packaging, etc. But 869 00:54:45,960 --> 00:54:50,680 Speaker 1: in terms of deals, not everybody has an agent. How 870 00:54:50,719 --> 00:54:53,080 Speaker 1: do you interact with the agencies? 871 00:54:54,680 --> 00:54:58,600 Speaker 2: Oh, well, A good portion of my clients are represented 872 00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:04,120 Speaker 2: by agencies, and the agencies have been very good. They're 873 00:55:04,160 --> 00:55:06,960 Speaker 2: out there. We don't go out there looking for jobs 874 00:55:06,960 --> 00:55:10,719 Speaker 2: for these people. Okay, we don't know, at least I 875 00:55:10,719 --> 00:55:14,560 Speaker 2: could speak for myself. I don't know what films are 876 00:55:14,600 --> 00:55:17,839 Speaker 2: on the boards that they're looking for talent, and at 877 00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:20,279 Speaker 2: which companies are looking for talent. That's that's what the 878 00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:24,040 Speaker 2: good agents know. They know what Paramount has got on 879 00:55:24,080 --> 00:55:26,120 Speaker 2: the boards. They know what Disney's got on the boards, 880 00:55:26,120 --> 00:55:28,920 Speaker 2: they know what Universal, they know what's coming up, and 881 00:55:28,960 --> 00:55:32,560 Speaker 2: they know where to call there and put up their 882 00:55:32,600 --> 00:55:36,480 Speaker 2: clients for the opportunities at those places. We don't know that. 883 00:55:36,600 --> 00:55:39,520 Speaker 2: The agents know that the ages are very good at that, 884 00:55:40,200 --> 00:55:42,840 Speaker 2: and so we work with the agents is far with 885 00:55:42,960 --> 00:55:46,840 Speaker 2: our clients because they know what's coming up and all that, 886 00:55:47,920 --> 00:55:51,840 Speaker 2: and they've made multiple deals, so their input all the time. 887 00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:54,759 Speaker 2: We may have our ideas what the deal is worth, 888 00:55:54,920 --> 00:55:58,320 Speaker 2: the agents also have their ideas and it's valuable input. 889 00:55:58,440 --> 00:56:01,840 Speaker 2: I have nothing but respect for the good agencies because 890 00:56:01,840 --> 00:56:04,080 Speaker 2: they're on the front lines where we are not. 891 00:56:05,239 --> 00:56:09,960 Speaker 1: Okay, let's flip it over to the music business. For 892 00:56:10,000 --> 00:56:13,680 Speaker 1: a long time there, the last decades of the twentieth century, 893 00:56:13,680 --> 00:56:16,760 Speaker 1: it was all about the major labels and major label 894 00:56:16,840 --> 00:56:21,200 Speaker 1: recording contracts. A to what degree is out of percentage 895 00:56:21,200 --> 00:56:22,640 Speaker 1: of your business today. 896 00:56:25,200 --> 00:56:27,760 Speaker 2: That would be less than fifty percent, Maybe it's around 897 00:56:27,840 --> 00:56:29,520 Speaker 2: fifty percent, maybe a little less. 898 00:56:30,239 --> 00:56:33,760 Speaker 1: And we talked about the three sixty. How have those 899 00:56:33,760 --> 00:56:36,040 Speaker 1: contracts change? I mean there are a lot of ways. 900 00:56:36,080 --> 00:56:39,040 Speaker 1: I mean, in the days of physical products, certainly the CD, 901 00:56:39,239 --> 00:56:43,600 Speaker 1: you have these huge advances and all sorts of other things. 902 00:56:43,600 --> 00:56:45,680 Speaker 1: So what's a recording contract like today? 903 00:56:47,640 --> 00:56:52,359 Speaker 2: It's pretty much pretty much the same question is are 904 00:56:52,400 --> 00:56:54,759 Speaker 2: they willing to put out as a company willing to 905 00:56:54,760 --> 00:56:58,239 Speaker 2: put out as much money today as they were? And 906 00:56:58,280 --> 00:57:01,759 Speaker 2: that'll vary, that'll vary with the talent. There's I don't 907 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:05,960 Speaker 2: I don't know of a measure on that one. If somebody, 908 00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:08,440 Speaker 2: if there's three record companies or four record companies want 909 00:57:08,520 --> 00:57:10,600 Speaker 2: you're artists, it is one one type of thing. If 910 00:57:10,600 --> 00:57:12,880 Speaker 2: there's one record company that wants are artist, it's a 911 00:57:12,920 --> 00:57:16,160 Speaker 2: different deal. I don't think that has changed that much. 912 00:57:16,960 --> 00:57:20,120 Speaker 1: Okay, So let's assume I'm making a deal with a 913 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:23,720 Speaker 1: major label. What kind of streaming rate can I get? 914 00:57:25,000 --> 00:57:29,280 Speaker 2: Streaming rate? Okay? That's a that's a that's a that's 915 00:57:29,320 --> 00:57:33,840 Speaker 2: a daily question around here. The maximum anybody is paid, 916 00:57:34,200 --> 00:57:36,400 Speaker 2: and there some of them are paying it, it's at 917 00:57:36,440 --> 00:57:44,480 Speaker 2: fifty percent of what proceeeds Okay, domestically for forty foreign Okay, 918 00:57:44,880 --> 00:57:48,360 Speaker 2: at source as source. Not everybody's going to get that. 919 00:57:48,360 --> 00:57:51,800 Speaker 2: That's that's a relatively few we'll get that, but it's 920 00:57:51,840 --> 00:57:56,480 Speaker 2: it's possible to get a number of the companies. A 921 00:57:56,560 --> 00:58:00,520 Speaker 2: number of the companies are paying at thirty five and 922 00:58:00,560 --> 00:58:04,400 Speaker 2: forty and those forty forty domestic thirty five for some 923 00:58:04,560 --> 00:58:09,840 Speaker 2: are paying less than that. The big problem we all have. 924 00:58:10,120 --> 00:58:13,640 Speaker 2: The big problem is not the new deals, but the 925 00:58:13,720 --> 00:58:17,480 Speaker 2: existing deals that were that were sitting there, in which 926 00:58:17,880 --> 00:58:21,840 Speaker 2: the record companies are paying streaming rate and the same 927 00:58:21,880 --> 00:58:25,280 Speaker 2: as they were paying for the CD rate. So if 928 00:58:25,280 --> 00:58:28,560 Speaker 2: the CD rate was twenty percent or twenty five percent, 929 00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:32,600 Speaker 2: that's what they're paying. So we're fighting with the labels 930 00:58:32,640 --> 00:58:35,400 Speaker 2: to say, hey, wait a minute, it's unfair this time 931 00:58:35,480 --> 00:58:37,960 Speaker 2: and this business and what you're making on it. You 932 00:58:38,080 --> 00:58:39,960 Speaker 2: got to rethink it. You got to come to the 933 00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:43,480 Speaker 2: table and renegotiate this thing. Every company has their own 934 00:58:43,520 --> 00:58:47,360 Speaker 2: philosophy on it. But that's the type of discussion that 935 00:58:47,520 --> 00:58:50,840 Speaker 2: should be had. Okay, even though somebody is there is 936 00:58:50,880 --> 00:58:53,480 Speaker 2: getting a streaming rate of twenty or twenty five percent, 937 00:58:53,880 --> 00:58:56,360 Speaker 2: they should be having a conversation with the label, Hey 938 00:58:56,440 --> 00:58:59,680 Speaker 2: that's not fair, because it isn't because they don't have 939 00:58:59,760 --> 00:59:04,320 Speaker 2: many factory, they don't have storage, shipping, they don't have storage, 940 00:59:04,480 --> 00:59:07,240 Speaker 2: they don't have any of the things that they used 941 00:59:07,240 --> 00:59:11,480 Speaker 2: to have with with a CD. They it. Basically, My 942 00:59:12,680 --> 00:59:15,640 Speaker 2: position is it's a license. It's all it is. They 943 00:59:15,680 --> 00:59:18,240 Speaker 2: exercise the license. Yes, they do some promotion, and no 944 00:59:18,440 --> 00:59:23,200 Speaker 2: question they do promotion. But the rate, in my personal 945 00:59:23,240 --> 00:59:29,000 Speaker 2: opinion is anything lower than forty or fifty percent is wrong. 946 00:59:29,560 --> 00:59:33,000 Speaker 2: And we make calls and everybody else is doing the 947 00:59:33,000 --> 00:59:35,600 Speaker 2: same thing, main calls. Hey, it's time to rethink this 948 00:59:36,280 --> 00:59:41,120 Speaker 2: with the with the labels. But I think for any 949 00:59:41,200 --> 00:59:46,240 Speaker 2: decent act, forty to fifty percent domesticated and throughound thirty 950 00:59:46,280 --> 00:59:49,840 Speaker 2: to thirty five or forty percent four and is what 951 00:59:50,280 --> 00:59:52,680 Speaker 2: is the goal? Everybody's not going to get it? 952 00:59:53,240 --> 01:00:00,320 Speaker 1: So are these there are no deductions on the fifty Okay, 953 01:00:00,320 --> 01:00:03,560 Speaker 1: So let's say I have an historic contract and they're 954 01:00:03,600 --> 01:00:06,840 Speaker 1: paying me a low rate. Many people don't have any leverage. 955 01:00:07,160 --> 01:00:13,160 Speaker 1: So how do you get these labels to cough up more. 956 01:00:13,040 --> 01:00:14,720 Speaker 2: Go out and buy an AK forty seven? 957 01:00:14,920 --> 01:00:15,040 Speaker 1: No? 958 01:00:17,440 --> 01:00:23,400 Speaker 2: You you try your best. I you know, you try 959 01:00:23,480 --> 01:00:26,280 Speaker 2: your best. If they really love the artists and they're 960 01:00:26,280 --> 01:00:28,320 Speaker 2: really interested in the artists. They want to keep a 961 01:00:28,360 --> 01:00:31,280 Speaker 2: happy artist, and most labels want to keep a happy artist. 962 01:00:31,520 --> 01:00:34,160 Speaker 2: You go in on that basis you don't have any leverage, 963 01:00:34,560 --> 01:00:37,440 Speaker 2: but you're going to say, look, it's not fair. Well, 964 01:00:37,520 --> 01:00:40,360 Speaker 2: they're not fair. Work always work. It won't always work, 965 01:00:40,360 --> 01:00:44,000 Speaker 2: but it will work. Sometimes it will work. Sometimes. I've 966 01:00:44,040 --> 01:00:54,560 Speaker 2: seen one label very positively when you have legendary, legendary 967 01:00:54,640 --> 01:00:57,760 Speaker 2: artists on the label come to the table and say, yeah, 968 01:00:57,760 --> 01:00:59,120 Speaker 2: we gotta make it right. 969 01:01:00,600 --> 01:01:03,480 Speaker 1: Okay. There have been all these issues in the music 970 01:01:03,560 --> 01:01:07,920 Speaker 1: business of contracts that have not foreseen the future. To 971 01:01:08,040 --> 01:01:12,320 Speaker 1: what degree do you have artists who have contracts there 972 01:01:12,320 --> 01:01:17,880 Speaker 1: are now revenue streams that were not foreseen in the contract, 973 01:01:17,920 --> 01:01:21,360 Speaker 1: which raise questions in bargaining power. How often does that happen? 974 01:01:22,280 --> 01:01:24,200 Speaker 2: It happens. I mean, look at all the contracts that 975 01:01:24,240 --> 01:01:30,520 Speaker 2: were done before there were streaming, lots of them. And 976 01:01:30,760 --> 01:01:35,560 Speaker 2: I'm doing battle right now. These are contracts I inherited 977 01:01:37,280 --> 01:01:41,160 Speaker 2: with a couple labels and say, we got up these 978 01:01:41,200 --> 01:01:44,720 Speaker 2: streaming rays. It's not fair to be paying twenty percent 979 01:01:44,880 --> 01:01:52,600 Speaker 2: royalty for streaming. It's just not right. And while right 980 01:01:52,600 --> 01:01:56,080 Speaker 2: now I'm in these conversations, I haven't received the know 981 01:01:56,400 --> 01:02:00,000 Speaker 2: what I'm receiving is we're reviewing it. I keep hearing 982 01:02:00,120 --> 01:02:02,840 Speaker 2: we're reviewing it. Well, I think the review time is over. 983 01:02:02,960 --> 01:02:07,920 Speaker 2: Let's get to something. But it's worth the conversation, and 984 01:02:07,960 --> 01:02:09,560 Speaker 2: everybody should have that conversation. 985 01:02:17,480 --> 01:02:20,680 Speaker 1: Okay, there are issues. We have a lot of acts 986 01:02:21,240 --> 01:02:25,439 Speaker 1: that have they had to re re record it, like Aerosmith, whatever, 987 01:02:25,520 --> 01:02:28,000 Speaker 1: ye haven't you? You get to write a reversion after 988 01:02:28,040 --> 01:02:31,439 Speaker 1: twenty five years on the original albums because they didn't 989 01:02:31,480 --> 01:02:35,960 Speaker 1: foresee any economic value after twenty five years. So when 990 01:02:36,000 --> 01:02:41,000 Speaker 1: you make a deal today, okay, is there any reversion 991 01:02:41,080 --> 01:02:44,160 Speaker 1: of the copyright? Can that be negotiated? What are the 992 01:02:44,280 --> 01:02:45,000 Speaker 1: terms there? 993 01:02:48,600 --> 01:02:51,400 Speaker 2: Negotiating the reversion is very tough. You have to have 994 01:02:51,440 --> 01:02:55,320 Speaker 2: a superstar to do that, to get an ownership. But 995 01:02:55,480 --> 01:02:58,320 Speaker 2: absent that, under the Copyright Act, there's a thirty five 996 01:02:58,400 --> 01:03:01,560 Speaker 2: year termination for any recordings that are done after nineteen 997 01:03:01,640 --> 01:03:06,400 Speaker 2: seventy eight. Okay, released after nineteen seventy eight under the 998 01:03:06,400 --> 01:03:09,400 Speaker 2: Copyright Act, so you can get it back. Now, here's 999 01:03:09,480 --> 01:03:14,000 Speaker 2: what's going on with that. Copyright Act of nineteen seventy 1000 01:03:14,320 --> 01:03:18,160 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy eight provides for this or in nineteen seventy six, 1001 01:03:18,960 --> 01:03:22,960 Speaker 2: commencing in nineteen seventy eight. The Copyright Act prize for 1002 01:03:23,000 --> 01:03:27,080 Speaker 2: a thirty five termination right under the old Act, the 1003 01:03:27,160 --> 01:03:30,120 Speaker 2: previous Act, it was a fifty six year termination. Fifty 1004 01:03:30,160 --> 01:03:34,280 Speaker 2: six year termination. So you said, now you're coming up, 1005 01:03:34,280 --> 01:03:36,400 Speaker 2: you got two You got two years before the thirty 1006 01:03:36,400 --> 01:03:42,680 Speaker 2: five years to send your notice. You got to give 1007 01:03:42,680 --> 01:03:44,720 Speaker 2: a two year notice and it's a five year period 1008 01:03:44,720 --> 01:03:46,880 Speaker 2: of which you have to send it. But the termination 1009 01:03:47,280 --> 01:03:50,520 Speaker 2: would be between thirty five to forty years. So you 1010 01:03:50,600 --> 01:03:53,080 Speaker 2: send your notice. The first thing happens is the record 1011 01:03:53,080 --> 01:03:55,800 Speaker 2: companies say, no, you're not in time too, because it's 1012 01:03:55,800 --> 01:03:59,360 Speaker 2: a work for hire, work for hire, work for higher 1013 01:03:59,400 --> 01:04:04,520 Speaker 2: provision in the Copyright Act says that they own it 1014 01:04:04,560 --> 01:04:06,800 Speaker 2: and they own it in perpetuity, but nothing. There's no 1015 01:04:06,880 --> 01:04:12,240 Speaker 2: termination right for work for hire. However, here's the situation. 1016 01:04:12,280 --> 01:04:16,400 Speaker 2: It's long and a complicated reason. Under the Copyright Act, 1017 01:04:16,400 --> 01:04:19,600 Speaker 2: there are nine categories that work for hire, nine categories. 1018 01:04:20,160 --> 01:04:27,400 Speaker 2: Sound recordings are not one of the nine categories. Audio 1019 01:04:27,480 --> 01:04:30,760 Speaker 2: visual works are one of the nine categories. As an example, 1020 01:04:31,480 --> 01:04:35,320 Speaker 2: the collective works are a category but doesn't say sound recordings. 1021 01:04:36,440 --> 01:04:41,800 Speaker 2: In the year to nineteen ninety nine, the RIAA Record 1022 01:04:41,840 --> 01:04:47,560 Speaker 2: Industry Association of America got Congress to add a tenth 1023 01:04:47,600 --> 01:04:51,200 Speaker 2: category sound recordings to the list of to the list 1024 01:04:51,200 --> 01:04:55,080 Speaker 2: of nine categories which made sound recordings that work for hire, 1025 01:04:56,360 --> 01:05:01,240 Speaker 2: which means you could terminate number of us. It was 1026 01:05:01,520 --> 01:05:06,680 Speaker 2: Cheryl Crow, Don Henley Irving Azoff and I got involved 1027 01:05:06,720 --> 01:05:11,960 Speaker 2: myself on behalf of Cheryl, and we protested the Congress 1028 01:05:11,960 --> 01:05:14,840 Speaker 2: that they shouldn't have passed this law. Okay, it was 1029 01:05:14,880 --> 01:05:20,120 Speaker 2: included in a one thousand page stock television amendment. Okay, 1030 01:05:20,680 --> 01:05:27,320 Speaker 2: that's where it was included. I contacted Howard Berman and 1031 01:05:27,320 --> 01:05:30,600 Speaker 2: then Howard Kobel. They were the Howard Cobel was the 1032 01:05:30,680 --> 01:05:33,240 Speaker 2: chairman of the Appropriate Committee and Howard Berman was the 1033 01:05:33,320 --> 01:05:37,200 Speaker 2: ranking member. They decided to hold hearings on this thing. 1034 01:05:38,240 --> 01:05:40,360 Speaker 2: I got Cheryl Crow to go back and testify. I 1035 01:05:40,440 --> 01:05:45,680 Speaker 2: went and testified, and this is the year two thousand. 1036 01:05:46,000 --> 01:05:54,680 Speaker 2: The year two thousand, we had dueling professors. Helen Rosen 1037 01:05:54,880 --> 01:05:58,720 Speaker 2: was the head of the RAA at that time. She testified. 1038 01:05:58,760 --> 01:06:02,720 Speaker 2: We had a professor. They had a professor carry grat 1039 01:06:02,760 --> 01:06:06,920 Speaker 2: carry grad. Kerry Sherman was the general consul for the 1040 01:06:07,120 --> 01:06:10,960 Speaker 2: ra He testified on the other side and it became 1041 01:06:11,120 --> 01:06:16,040 Speaker 2: very clear to Coward Coble and Howard Berman that they 1042 01:06:16,120 --> 01:06:18,600 Speaker 2: made a mistake. They shouldn't have They shouldn't have passed 1043 01:06:18,600 --> 01:06:21,320 Speaker 2: this without a hearing, with no hearing when they passed that. 1044 01:06:22,160 --> 01:06:24,760 Speaker 2: So they called Kerry Sherman to myself into a room 1045 01:06:24,800 --> 01:06:30,400 Speaker 2: and they said, they said, come up with language to 1046 01:06:32,880 --> 01:06:35,920 Speaker 2: remove this language. And we came up with language. It 1047 01:06:35,960 --> 01:06:38,280 Speaker 2: took her quite a while. The two of us came 1048 01:06:38,360 --> 01:06:40,800 Speaker 2: up with the language. They finally passed it, and so 1049 01:06:40,800 --> 01:06:46,920 Speaker 2: sound recordings was removed as a tenth category. Notwithstanding that fact, 1050 01:06:47,000 --> 01:06:50,360 Speaker 2: the the record companies to this day claim when you 1051 01:06:50,400 --> 01:06:53,960 Speaker 2: send your termination notice that it's worked for hire and 1052 01:06:54,000 --> 01:06:58,200 Speaker 2: therefore there's no right to terminate. There's litigation pending on 1053 01:06:58,320 --> 01:07:02,360 Speaker 2: this which has not been There is no resulve, and 1054 01:07:02,400 --> 01:07:08,000 Speaker 2: the record companies refuse to acknowledge that there's a right 1055 01:07:08,040 --> 01:07:10,400 Speaker 2: of termination. You're saying the is a collective work and 1056 01:07:10,440 --> 01:07:16,440 Speaker 2: therefore it falls within the falls within the ten nine categories. 1057 01:07:18,200 --> 01:07:21,600 Speaker 2: As I say, there's no result in litigation. So what 1058 01:07:21,760 --> 01:07:25,160 Speaker 2: happens on when you send your termination notice? They say 1059 01:07:25,680 --> 01:07:29,120 Speaker 2: you have no right to terminate, but let's talk, and 1060 01:07:29,160 --> 01:07:33,840 Speaker 2: then they generally will negotiate and the advance and negotiate 1061 01:07:35,480 --> 01:07:39,360 Speaker 2: higher royalties and things of that nature. And there's no 1062 01:07:39,560 --> 01:07:43,120 Speaker 2: consistent way it's done, and they're all Every record company 1063 01:07:43,160 --> 01:07:46,560 Speaker 2: is different, Every record company attrius it differently. That's the 1064 01:07:46,640 --> 01:07:49,080 Speaker 2: state of the art. There's no answer to that question 1065 01:07:49,160 --> 01:07:51,880 Speaker 2: except the record companies maintained it is a work for 1066 01:07:51,960 --> 01:07:53,560 Speaker 2: hire and there's no right to termine it. 1067 01:07:54,760 --> 01:07:59,480 Speaker 1: Okay, do you anticipate one of these cases going to trial. 1068 01:08:00,760 --> 01:08:02,080 Speaker 2: There's two pending out there. 1069 01:08:02,440 --> 01:08:08,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, let's go back to the recording contract. Used 1070 01:08:08,600 --> 01:08:11,760 Speaker 1: to be that lawyers would shop deals. Is that still 1071 01:08:11,760 --> 01:08:13,600 Speaker 1: a factor at all? Or how many people come in 1072 01:08:13,640 --> 01:08:16,519 Speaker 1: and say the label's interest in me, I need a lawyer. 1073 01:08:17,439 --> 01:08:22,720 Speaker 2: Well, if the label is interested, they're not shopping. No, 1074 01:08:22,800 --> 01:08:24,519 Speaker 2: I won't. I won't shop I don't know how many 1075 01:08:24,560 --> 01:08:26,960 Speaker 2: attorneys are doing it shopping at this point. I won't 1076 01:08:26,960 --> 01:08:29,040 Speaker 2: do it. The reason why we don't, I'll tell you why. 1077 01:08:29,240 --> 01:08:32,639 Speaker 2: The reason we don't do it myself and everybody else 1078 01:08:32,800 --> 01:08:37,160 Speaker 2: probably similar, which is the one thing we have is access. 1079 01:08:37,800 --> 01:08:39,599 Speaker 2: I can call over and get somebody on the phone. 1080 01:08:39,600 --> 01:08:41,280 Speaker 2: But if I'm calling up to find out if they 1081 01:08:41,600 --> 01:08:43,559 Speaker 2: if they're interested in my latest deal. They're not going 1082 01:08:43,640 --> 01:08:46,559 Speaker 2: to be answering the phone. We need, we need access 1083 01:08:47,479 --> 01:08:49,920 Speaker 2: and shopping is the worst thing you can do because 1084 01:08:49,960 --> 01:08:52,680 Speaker 2: now they don't want to take their call because they 1085 01:08:52,680 --> 01:08:55,000 Speaker 2: don't they don't like to say a lot of people 1086 01:08:55,000 --> 01:08:56,680 Speaker 2: they don't like to say no. They don't like to 1087 01:08:56,720 --> 01:09:01,200 Speaker 2: tell you no. So I stay away. I'm sure a 1088 01:09:01,200 --> 01:09:04,559 Speaker 2: lot of people are that stay away from shopping. It's bad. 1089 01:09:04,640 --> 01:09:07,160 Speaker 2: I don't want to do it. But if the label 1090 01:09:07,160 --> 01:09:10,800 Speaker 2: says I'm interested, I said, then I'll call them and say, okay, 1091 01:09:10,840 --> 01:09:12,839 Speaker 2: I'll talk to you now now. 1092 01:09:12,920 --> 01:09:16,639 Speaker 1: But there are fewer major labels who are putting out 1093 01:09:17,360 --> 01:09:22,120 Speaker 1: less product. Yeah, so basically everybody walks through the door 1094 01:09:22,800 --> 01:09:25,040 Speaker 1: has a deal or do you have other acts who 1095 01:09:25,040 --> 01:09:27,200 Speaker 1: say I'm doing incredible on the road. I don't want 1096 01:09:27,240 --> 01:09:30,320 Speaker 1: to make a major label deal, but I need representation. 1097 01:09:31,479 --> 01:09:34,000 Speaker 2: Well I can give representation. Well, I'm not going to shop, 1098 01:09:34,040 --> 01:09:37,400 Speaker 2: but maybe I can get them to a manager or 1099 01:09:37,479 --> 01:09:41,559 Speaker 2: to somebody who will do that. A good manager. There 1100 01:09:41,560 --> 01:09:44,000 Speaker 2: are good there are good managers who will do will 1101 01:09:44,040 --> 01:09:47,559 Speaker 2: do that with with talent, they will do that, and 1102 01:09:47,600 --> 01:09:49,759 Speaker 2: that's fine. I don't want to have my name attached 1103 01:09:49,760 --> 01:09:51,840 Speaker 2: to it. I'm sure there's a lot of otheritorians feel 1104 01:09:51,880 --> 01:09:54,160 Speaker 2: the same way. Don't want to shop. 1105 01:09:54,600 --> 01:09:57,840 Speaker 1: How about the other thing in California where we've had 1106 01:09:57,880 --> 01:10:02,679 Speaker 1: this issue for sixty years now, where if someone who's 1107 01:10:02,720 --> 01:10:07,640 Speaker 1: not an attorney or licensed talent agent gets work, the 1108 01:10:07,760 --> 01:10:12,800 Speaker 1: contract can be voided and no money is owed. What's 1109 01:10:12,840 --> 01:10:15,639 Speaker 1: the status of that and what's your experience. 1110 01:10:15,400 --> 01:10:20,240 Speaker 2: That hasn't That hasn't changed. Uh, that hasn't changed at all. 1111 01:10:22,320 --> 01:10:26,479 Speaker 2: An agent has licensed to to solicit work, okay, and 1112 01:10:26,520 --> 01:10:28,559 Speaker 2: if you don't, if you don't have that, your you're 1113 01:10:28,640 --> 01:10:32,639 Speaker 2: at risk. There have been cases on that subject. I 1114 01:10:32,680 --> 01:10:36,559 Speaker 2: haven't had that discussion for quite some time, but there 1115 01:10:36,640 --> 01:10:44,439 Speaker 2: was who's named Matthew kates H exactly right? Oh god, 1116 01:10:44,600 --> 01:10:46,479 Speaker 2: the name came out on where that name came out. 1117 01:10:46,520 --> 01:10:50,960 Speaker 2: But yeah, that's it. Uh, there has I haven't had much. 1118 01:10:52,120 --> 01:10:56,360 Speaker 2: I haven't seen much of that lately because I guess 1119 01:10:56,680 --> 01:10:59,200 Speaker 2: talent or I actually have anybody who will go try 1120 01:10:59,200 --> 01:11:06,479 Speaker 2: and shop shop for them, and they will. I feel 1121 01:11:06,520 --> 01:11:09,920 Speaker 2: sorry for talent because it's hard for them to get 1122 01:11:09,960 --> 01:11:12,599 Speaker 2: doors open to them, and it's hard to get into 1123 01:11:12,600 --> 01:11:18,160 Speaker 2: the agencies because the agencies are busy, they they're responsible 1124 01:11:18,200 --> 01:11:21,080 Speaker 2: for the any talent that they have, and so some 1125 01:11:21,160 --> 01:11:23,919 Speaker 2: of them are. It's hard to get into the agency, 1126 01:11:24,040 --> 01:11:26,720 Speaker 2: hard to get an agent, and they're not easy, so 1127 01:11:26,800 --> 01:11:29,120 Speaker 2: the attorneys are not doing it. It's difficult to get 1128 01:11:29,120 --> 01:11:31,519 Speaker 2: an agent. So when you find someone who's willing to 1129 01:11:31,520 --> 01:11:36,160 Speaker 2: put their put themselves out there, nobody's trying to nobody's 1130 01:11:36,400 --> 01:11:38,400 Speaker 2: right now trying to kill those people who are trying 1131 01:11:38,439 --> 01:11:43,599 Speaker 2: to say no, don't do that, because the talent has 1132 01:11:43,640 --> 01:11:45,960 Speaker 2: nowhere else to go. The only thing the talent can 1133 01:11:46,000 --> 01:11:50,479 Speaker 2: do is keep performing showcases right and hopefully somebody shows 1134 01:11:50,560 --> 01:11:54,720 Speaker 2: up that that might be interested in them. But it's 1135 01:11:54,760 --> 01:11:56,879 Speaker 2: not easy. But so what we can do is sometimes 1136 01:11:56,920 --> 01:12:00,559 Speaker 2: refer them to a manager, who is if we think 1137 01:12:00,600 --> 01:12:04,840 Speaker 2: something is really good, we'll refer to a manager, and 1138 01:12:06,400 --> 01:12:12,639 Speaker 2: the managers go ahead and notwithstanding the law, because nobody's 1139 01:12:12,720 --> 01:12:16,759 Speaker 2: really interested and going after managers for trying to shop. 1140 01:12:16,800 --> 01:12:20,960 Speaker 2: There's nobody interested in that because there's nowhere else the 1141 01:12:21,000 --> 01:12:21,920 Speaker 2: talent has to look. 1142 01:12:23,920 --> 01:12:28,360 Speaker 1: Okay, Now, there are certain managers who have handshake agreements, 1143 01:12:28,880 --> 01:12:33,800 Speaker 1: others have contracts. What do you advise the talent and 1144 01:12:33,840 --> 01:12:36,719 Speaker 1: what has been your experience in terms of what whether 1145 01:12:36,720 --> 01:12:38,040 Speaker 1: people want a contract or not? 1146 01:12:40,240 --> 01:12:42,240 Speaker 2: Well, what type of person wants to contract? 1147 01:12:42,720 --> 01:12:47,840 Speaker 1: Let's say you're representing talent. Talent now has a manager, right, 1148 01:12:48,439 --> 01:12:53,760 Speaker 1: some managers want paper, other managers don't. Do you advise 1149 01:12:54,280 --> 01:12:57,400 Speaker 1: the act one way or another? And if there is paper, 1150 01:12:57,760 --> 01:12:59,720 Speaker 1: what are the key points you're negotiating? 1151 01:13:00,080 --> 01:13:02,120 Speaker 2: Well, I think there probably should be a paper the 1152 01:13:02,200 --> 01:13:06,080 Speaker 2: keyboard are the royalties? Are the bed's a commission? I 1153 01:13:06,080 --> 01:13:09,360 Speaker 2: should say, what's the commission? How long is the contract? 1154 01:13:11,280 --> 01:13:13,479 Speaker 2: The big things are, yeah, what's the commission? And how long? 1155 01:13:13,560 --> 01:13:16,599 Speaker 2: And how long is the contract? And is there a 1156 01:13:16,640 --> 01:13:19,439 Speaker 2: sunset clause? Right? 1157 01:13:19,560 --> 01:13:23,280 Speaker 1: Okay, So just going back to the record companies. You know, 1158 01:13:23,640 --> 01:13:28,000 Speaker 1: sixty years ago you had two albums a year. The 1159 01:13:28,080 --> 01:13:30,640 Speaker 1: total might be of the contract seven years might be 1160 01:13:30,720 --> 01:13:34,880 Speaker 1: fourteen albums. What is what are the deliverables today? And 1161 01:13:34,880 --> 01:13:36,280 Speaker 1: what are the terms today? 1162 01:13:37,120 --> 01:13:39,840 Speaker 2: Well, lucky if you get one album a year now, 1163 01:13:41,800 --> 01:13:46,560 Speaker 2: and usually the contracts are the contracts are usually a 1164 01:13:46,680 --> 01:13:48,920 Speaker 2: lens of about how many albums? There's the four albums 1165 01:13:48,920 --> 01:13:51,720 Speaker 2: are the five albums and six albums and the seven albums? 1166 01:13:52,120 --> 01:13:54,880 Speaker 2: There were contracts years ago. We all remember contracts of 1167 01:13:54,960 --> 01:13:58,719 Speaker 2: twenty albums and twenty two albums and twenty four albums 1168 01:13:58,760 --> 01:14:04,240 Speaker 2: and things like that. Today it's usually somewhere between five 1169 01:14:04,320 --> 01:14:10,360 Speaker 2: to five to six to seven albums, sometimes four, a 1170 01:14:10,400 --> 01:14:12,200 Speaker 2: lot less than what it a lot less to what 1171 01:14:12,280 --> 01:14:17,760 Speaker 2: it used to be. That's probably more typical somewhere there 1172 01:14:17,920 --> 01:14:21,360 Speaker 2: usually five somewhere between five to seven albums, which is 1173 01:14:21,360 --> 01:14:24,000 Speaker 2: still a lot on behalf of talent. I'd like to 1174 01:14:24,040 --> 01:14:25,960 Speaker 2: see less. I'd like to see the more than four 1175 01:14:26,120 --> 01:14:26,799 Speaker 2: quite frankly. 1176 01:14:28,320 --> 01:14:31,120 Speaker 1: Okay. Then we have the seven year clause, and the 1177 01:14:31,240 --> 01:14:34,120 Speaker 1: issue is whether it's it's been seven years the label 1178 01:14:34,280 --> 01:14:37,519 Speaker 1: argue haven't delivered all the product. But we did have 1179 01:14:37,560 --> 01:14:40,800 Speaker 1: one act of then sevenfold who left Warner and went 1180 01:14:40,840 --> 01:14:43,160 Speaker 1: to Capital. What are your thoughts on that now? 1181 01:14:43,640 --> 01:14:48,720 Speaker 2: Okay, I've got definite thoughts on that. Okay. California, we 1182 01:14:48,760 --> 01:14:52,800 Speaker 2: have a seven year statue. Seven years statute applies to 1183 01:14:52,960 --> 01:14:57,559 Speaker 2: everybody in the state of California. Seven years. And there 1184 01:14:57,640 --> 01:14:59,679 Speaker 2: was a famous case on there is oliviited to Havel 1185 01:14:59,720 --> 01:15:04,160 Speaker 2: then get Warner Brothers. And although she was put on 1186 01:15:04,240 --> 01:15:09,639 Speaker 2: suspension because she didn't perform in certain things, the court 1187 01:15:09,720 --> 01:15:14,519 Speaker 2: said in California, seven years mean seven years. Okay, seven 1188 01:15:14,600 --> 01:15:17,479 Speaker 2: years mean seven years. Seven years. She's out, whether she 1189 01:15:17,600 --> 01:15:21,600 Speaker 2: performed or not. Now here's another battle we had with 1190 01:15:21,680 --> 01:15:28,040 Speaker 2: the recording artist coalition, which I helped form. We had 1191 01:15:28,320 --> 01:15:30,720 Speaker 2: the battle of the one in the Congress I told 1192 01:15:30,760 --> 01:15:33,880 Speaker 2: you about, and then this was the second battle. So 1193 01:15:34,400 --> 01:15:38,960 Speaker 2: Ora comes into California and says, uha, seven years should 1194 01:15:39,000 --> 01:15:44,519 Speaker 2: not apply to the record industry, and if they don't, 1195 01:15:45,080 --> 01:15:47,360 Speaker 2: it should be. They first came in and said it 1196 01:15:47,360 --> 01:15:52,280 Speaker 2: should be ten years for record people. Ten years eventually 1197 01:15:52,400 --> 01:15:57,479 Speaker 2: what And I went up there on behalf of a 1198 01:15:57,600 --> 01:16:05,240 Speaker 2: number of artists to oppose that legend. Uh. The uh 1199 01:16:05,360 --> 01:16:12,040 Speaker 2: it passed and it passed anyway. Uh. And their argument was, well, 1200 01:16:12,160 --> 01:16:15,040 Speaker 2: the artist is not delivering all the stuff we should 1201 01:16:15,160 --> 01:16:20,400 Speaker 2: we should they should not be allowed out of their contract. Uh. 1202 01:16:20,479 --> 01:16:23,720 Speaker 2: But seven years applies to everybody else in California. Why 1203 01:16:23,720 --> 01:16:26,639 Speaker 2: shouldn't have applied the recording artists that placed the actors 1204 01:16:26,640 --> 01:16:30,240 Speaker 2: applies to everybody else. Their arguments said, well, they committed 1205 01:16:30,320 --> 01:16:33,439 Speaker 2: to the seven years that should be it should be. Uh. 1206 01:16:33,479 --> 01:16:36,160 Speaker 2: And we we we made an investment in the artists, 1207 01:16:36,280 --> 01:16:38,080 Speaker 2: so as they start in the film studio and make 1208 01:16:38,120 --> 01:16:42,439 Speaker 2: an investment that their there are actors. And they won 1209 01:16:42,520 --> 01:16:45,720 Speaker 2: the day, which basically said, if you don't deliver all 1210 01:16:45,760 --> 01:16:50,000 Speaker 2: the products, even if it's on option, even if the 1211 01:16:50,280 --> 01:16:54,840 Speaker 2: option was not exercised, Uh, you have to you have 1212 01:16:54,920 --> 01:16:56,960 Speaker 2: to deliver the album and if you have and if 1213 01:16:56,960 --> 01:17:00,400 Speaker 2: you haven't done that, you're liable for damages. You're liable 1214 01:17:00,479 --> 01:17:04,920 Speaker 2: for damages were undelivered damages for what? What are the damages? 1215 01:17:05,280 --> 01:17:09,280 Speaker 2: So what album sold ten million albums? Next album could 1216 01:17:09,320 --> 01:17:12,559 Speaker 2: sell nothing? We don't know what are the damages. Are 1217 01:17:12,600 --> 01:17:14,439 Speaker 2: the damages the basis of what you would have made 1218 01:17:14,479 --> 01:17:18,920 Speaker 2: on ten million albums? Uncertain? There's no answer. There's no 1219 01:17:19,000 --> 01:17:21,720 Speaker 2: answer to that at all. But they got they got 1220 01:17:21,720 --> 01:17:25,800 Speaker 2: the legislature in California to agree that artists could be 1221 01:17:25,880 --> 01:17:30,840 Speaker 2: sued for damage for damages for undelivered product even though 1222 01:17:30,880 --> 01:17:34,200 Speaker 2: they weren't optioned in the state of California. And that's 1223 01:17:34,240 --> 01:17:36,479 Speaker 2: the state of the law. Now. It's preposterous. In my 1224 01:17:36,560 --> 01:17:42,160 Speaker 2: personal opinion, it should never have happened. As I say, 1225 01:17:42,200 --> 01:17:44,640 Speaker 2: I opposed it on behalf of the artists. I went 1226 01:17:44,680 --> 01:17:48,400 Speaker 2: up there to testifying along with Don Henley and others. 1227 01:17:49,560 --> 01:17:51,880 Speaker 2: Don Henley was not my client, but we were part 1228 01:17:51,920 --> 01:17:56,360 Speaker 2: of the same artist coalition. Recording Artists Coalition and we 1229 01:17:56,400 --> 01:18:02,240 Speaker 2: opposed the legislation. Unfortunately, we didn't win that, or we 1230 01:18:02,360 --> 01:18:05,679 Speaker 2: lost that, however you want to describe it. It's not right, 1231 01:18:05,760 --> 01:18:07,240 Speaker 2: but that is the state of the law in the 1232 01:18:07,240 --> 01:18:12,280 Speaker 2: state of California. So even if they haven't delivered all 1233 01:18:12,280 --> 01:18:17,160 Speaker 2: the products in the seven year period, they can't get out. 1234 01:18:18,120 --> 01:18:18,920 Speaker 2: They can't get out. 1235 01:18:21,000 --> 01:18:24,280 Speaker 1: Okay. Let's shift to publishing for a second. So it 1236 01:18:24,280 --> 01:18:28,720 Speaker 1: has been your experience with termination rights in publishing. 1237 01:18:29,120 --> 01:18:34,519 Speaker 2: Been more positive, much more positive. So far. We've had 1238 01:18:34,880 --> 01:18:41,040 Speaker 2: no issue with getting people out of the contract. Yeah, 1239 01:18:41,280 --> 01:18:43,280 Speaker 2: I stopped out of the country. I'm sorry. We have 1240 01:18:43,360 --> 01:18:47,479 Speaker 2: no problem not terminating and not getting the rights back. Correct. 1241 01:18:48,000 --> 01:18:51,400 Speaker 1: Okay. So let's say you have what they call a 1242 01:18:51,520 --> 01:18:56,519 Speaker 1: heritage artist, someone whose heyday of recordings is in the past, 1243 01:18:57,000 --> 01:19:01,040 Speaker 1: and they walk in and they say, okay, I have 1244 01:19:01,760 --> 01:19:05,440 Speaker 1: the right of termination. A lot of them will immediately 1245 01:19:05,479 --> 01:19:08,120 Speaker 1: make a deal with the person who had it before. 1246 01:19:08,200 --> 01:19:11,639 Speaker 1: What would you advise someone who now has an asset 1247 01:19:11,760 --> 01:19:16,439 Speaker 1: which they've regained, Well, it all. 1248 01:19:16,400 --> 01:19:20,080 Speaker 2: Depends on their relationship. If you're with a good publisher, 1249 01:19:20,840 --> 01:19:23,080 Speaker 2: you're with a good publisher, you probably want to stay 1250 01:19:23,080 --> 01:19:25,680 Speaker 2: with a good publisher. So you make it. You make 1251 01:19:25,720 --> 01:19:30,080 Speaker 2: a new deal, make yourself a better deal, maybe get 1252 01:19:30,120 --> 01:19:34,000 Speaker 2: some advances, better royalties, what have you. If you've got 1253 01:19:34,000 --> 01:19:37,280 Speaker 2: a good publisher, why not stay with them? Don't You 1254 01:19:37,280 --> 01:19:40,080 Speaker 2: don't give them the ownership necessarily, you will make a 1255 01:19:40,120 --> 01:19:44,200 Speaker 2: deal for what we call an administration deal, and you 1256 01:19:44,280 --> 01:19:48,439 Speaker 2: get more favorable rates instead. Instead of the publisher getting 1257 01:19:48,880 --> 01:19:51,519 Speaker 2: fifty percent or twenty five percent, maybe you get them 1258 01:19:51,520 --> 01:19:56,640 Speaker 2: down to ten percent, maybe even five percent. But if 1259 01:19:56,640 --> 01:20:00,840 Speaker 2: you've got a good publisher, a good publisher, are you 1260 01:20:00,960 --> 01:20:04,240 Speaker 2: really want a good publisher, and good publishers are very effective, 1261 01:20:05,320 --> 01:20:07,880 Speaker 2: why not make a deal with them. Unless you're very 1262 01:20:07,960 --> 01:20:11,479 Speaker 2: unhappy with that particular publisher, and then okay, take your 1263 01:20:11,479 --> 01:20:14,599 Speaker 2: stuff back and run somewhere else. But you're still going 1264 01:20:14,640 --> 01:20:16,439 Speaker 2: to have to make a deal with somebody. You can't 1265 01:20:16,439 --> 01:20:19,559 Speaker 2: do it yourself. You can't do it by advise it. 1266 01:20:19,640 --> 01:20:22,840 Speaker 2: I guess doing it yourself. There's too much to administrate, 1267 01:20:22,840 --> 01:20:26,679 Speaker 2: there's too many licenses to do, there's too much knowledge 1268 01:20:26,720 --> 01:20:29,320 Speaker 2: you need about what the latest deals are, et cetera. 1269 01:20:30,920 --> 01:20:34,479 Speaker 2: So do your termination right and make a deal. If 1270 01:20:34,520 --> 01:20:37,120 Speaker 2: you like the publisher, make a deal with the publisher 1271 01:20:37,400 --> 01:20:38,200 Speaker 2: the same one. 1272 01:20:38,280 --> 01:20:41,160 Speaker 1: Let's talk about the beginning of a contract. Sure, you 1273 01:20:41,240 --> 01:20:44,960 Speaker 1: make a deal with a major label doesn't include publishing rights, 1274 01:20:46,000 --> 01:20:49,920 Speaker 1: and different publishers will come and say I'll buy the 1275 01:20:49,960 --> 01:20:53,040 Speaker 1: publishing or a license it. They're different deals. Do you 1276 01:20:53,160 --> 01:20:56,280 Speaker 1: advise taking the money? What do you advise an act 1277 01:20:56,280 --> 01:20:58,600 Speaker 1: at the beginning of their career relative to publishing. 1278 01:21:01,760 --> 01:21:06,840 Speaker 2: My general advice, without anything else is, never give up 1279 01:21:06,840 --> 01:21:11,519 Speaker 2: ownership of your publisher. Never give up ownership. Make an 1280 01:21:11,520 --> 01:21:15,080 Speaker 2: administration deal for them to administrate for a limited period 1281 01:21:15,160 --> 01:21:17,960 Speaker 2: of time, and then it gives you. If they do 1282 01:21:18,000 --> 01:21:20,200 Speaker 2: a good job, you'll do another one with them. If 1283 01:21:20,200 --> 01:21:22,519 Speaker 2: they're not doing any job, you'll go with somebody else. 1284 01:21:23,000 --> 01:21:28,040 Speaker 2: But never ever, ever give up ownership of your copyrights. 1285 01:21:28,120 --> 01:21:32,160 Speaker 1: Which brings the next question. We are now an era 1286 01:21:32,320 --> 01:21:37,880 Speaker 1: where people are selling their copyrights out right Hypnosis, Primary Wave. 1287 01:21:38,000 --> 01:21:41,080 Speaker 1: There are a number of these companies round hill. What's 1288 01:21:41,120 --> 01:21:43,480 Speaker 1: your advice to clients on that. 1289 01:21:43,479 --> 01:21:47,080 Speaker 2: That's a person, it's a personal thing. If they the 1290 01:21:47,200 --> 01:21:51,000 Speaker 2: mondies are very big. Some of these copyrights have gone 1291 01:21:51,000 --> 01:21:54,360 Speaker 2: for as much as the thirty times multiple s are 1292 01:21:54,479 --> 01:21:58,280 Speaker 2: twenty five times multiple summer, twenty sixth summer, or twenty 1293 01:21:58,960 --> 01:22:04,519 Speaker 2: or less This is a personal question. It's not that 1294 01:22:04,560 --> 01:22:07,240 Speaker 2: we could have advice on them, because it's a person. 1295 01:22:07,320 --> 01:22:09,439 Speaker 2: It has to do with their personal finances and their 1296 01:22:09,479 --> 01:22:14,080 Speaker 2: personal future. If they if they feel that they don't 1297 01:22:14,120 --> 01:22:18,040 Speaker 2: mind losing control of their copyrights and they want to 1298 01:22:18,080 --> 01:22:20,320 Speaker 2: pocket a lot of money, then you do the deal. 1299 01:22:20,840 --> 01:22:23,880 Speaker 2: But if you want to control of your copyrights, really 1300 01:22:24,000 --> 01:22:28,080 Speaker 2: control your cover, then you don't sell because once you sell, 1301 01:22:28,200 --> 01:22:34,479 Speaker 2: although you can retain limited controls, limited but limited approval rights, 1302 01:22:34,479 --> 01:22:38,840 Speaker 2: I should not control limited approval rights. Again, you got 1303 01:22:38,920 --> 01:22:42,839 Speaker 2: down to I've heard a songwriters say, these are my babies, 1304 01:22:42,840 --> 01:22:44,920 Speaker 2: these are benter creation. Well, do you want to sell 1305 01:22:44,960 --> 01:22:49,240 Speaker 2: your baby? Do you want to sell your creation? I 1306 01:22:49,320 --> 01:22:52,559 Speaker 2: never advised them to sell. Unless the money is so 1307 01:22:52,720 --> 01:22:54,880 Speaker 2: big that they say, wow, I can make a score 1308 01:22:54,960 --> 01:22:56,960 Speaker 2: now and I don't have to worry for the rest 1309 01:22:57,000 --> 01:23:05,679 Speaker 2: of my life. That's a different choice. 1310 01:23:07,040 --> 01:23:10,479 Speaker 1: Okay, what we have seen in the digital era is 1311 01:23:10,520 --> 01:23:14,519 Speaker 1: they said the sky was falling, you know, twenty years ago, 1312 01:23:15,000 --> 01:23:22,240 Speaker 1: and now there are endless new avenues of remuteration. And 1313 01:23:22,320 --> 01:23:25,599 Speaker 1: everybody I know has sold before this previous run up 1314 01:23:25,600 --> 01:23:29,639 Speaker 1: it has always regretted it. So thirty X, if you're 1315 01:23:29,800 --> 01:23:32,840 Speaker 1: seventy looks like a really good number. Not that many 1316 01:23:32,840 --> 01:23:36,960 Speaker 1: people live to one hundred. But assuming I didn't need 1317 01:23:36,960 --> 01:23:39,240 Speaker 1: the cash, what would you tell me. 1318 01:23:41,680 --> 01:23:46,479 Speaker 2: Well, what's the reason for selling it? I don't see 1319 01:23:46,479 --> 01:23:49,080 Speaker 2: the reason why killing it if somebody can make a 1320 01:23:49,080 --> 01:23:51,000 Speaker 2: big score, and some of you see if people have 1321 01:23:51,160 --> 01:23:55,360 Speaker 2: made a big score. But if you don't need the cash, 1322 01:23:56,160 --> 01:23:59,439 Speaker 2: and you don't have something to do with that cash 1323 01:23:59,520 --> 01:24:02,640 Speaker 2: right now, you have there's certain investments you'd like to do. 1324 01:24:02,720 --> 01:24:07,920 Speaker 2: You'd like to buy this building or or buy a 1325 01:24:08,040 --> 01:24:11,519 Speaker 2: yacht or whatever you have in mind, there could be 1326 01:24:11,520 --> 01:24:16,320 Speaker 2: a reason to do it. But absent that, unless you 1327 01:24:16,360 --> 01:24:18,360 Speaker 2: have a specific reason what you want to do with 1328 01:24:18,400 --> 01:24:21,000 Speaker 2: the money, or you're fearful about the future and you 1329 01:24:21,040 --> 01:24:23,760 Speaker 2: want to put this money away, those are reasons to 1330 01:24:23,880 --> 01:24:26,599 Speaker 2: not to sell. But when you yours, when you sell, 1331 01:24:26,720 --> 01:24:29,080 Speaker 2: you giving up a certain amount of control. It's your 1332 01:24:29,200 --> 01:24:32,479 Speaker 2: I've heard songwriter say these are my babies. Well, do 1333 01:24:32,520 --> 01:24:35,760 Speaker 2: you want to sell your baby? Uh? You want to 1334 01:24:35,760 --> 01:24:38,920 Speaker 2: sell your You want to sell the control of this copyright? 1335 01:24:38,920 --> 01:24:40,960 Speaker 2: What can be done with it? What can how it 1336 01:24:41,000 --> 01:24:45,080 Speaker 2: can be used? Who who can license it or where 1337 01:24:45,560 --> 01:24:48,519 Speaker 2: where it can be used? Tough questions. 1338 01:24:49,880 --> 01:24:54,240 Speaker 1: And in terms of overall revenues from recordings, do you 1339 01:24:54,439 --> 01:24:57,160 Speaker 1: see what do you see coming down the pike? 1340 01:24:58,960 --> 01:25:04,000 Speaker 2: Revenues revenues are are very good right now and increasing 1341 01:25:04,120 --> 01:25:10,879 Speaker 2: because of because of streaming. Uh. The streaming has uh 1342 01:25:11,439 --> 01:25:15,800 Speaker 2: recovery has recovered the or it has caused the music 1343 01:25:15,800 --> 01:25:18,800 Speaker 2: industry to recover from the adultgens that went through after 1344 01:25:18,880 --> 01:25:25,000 Speaker 2: the nineties. Uh, it went really really down. Uh, and 1345 01:25:25,479 --> 01:25:29,240 Speaker 2: streaming has been a savior for it. And there's uh 1346 01:25:29,640 --> 01:25:36,760 Speaker 2: the royalties seemed to increase. Uh. The so it's been 1347 01:25:36,760 --> 01:25:39,920 Speaker 2: a boon. It's been a boon for the for the 1348 01:25:39,960 --> 01:25:45,720 Speaker 2: record industry, for the artists UH that participated. Uh. Very 1349 01:25:45,840 --> 01:25:48,080 Speaker 2: it's very very good, very good to see. 1350 01:25:49,600 --> 01:25:53,679 Speaker 1: Okay, there are many artists and artists are not always 1351 01:25:53,680 --> 01:26:00,120 Speaker 1: informed on the economics who decry streaming payouts and and 1352 01:26:00,200 --> 01:26:04,360 Speaker 1: we know that if you stream in quantity, there's a 1353 01:26:04,400 --> 01:26:09,320 Speaker 1: lot of money there. What is your viewpoint overall on 1354 01:26:09,439 --> 01:26:10,880 Speaker 1: streaming payouts. 1355 01:26:11,360 --> 01:26:14,640 Speaker 2: Well, there's two aspects of the streaming aspect. One is 1356 01:26:14,640 --> 01:26:18,639 Speaker 2: the recordings stream backs for the recording that are the streaming, 1357 01:26:18,920 --> 01:26:22,240 Speaker 2: and then there's one for the songwriters. The difficulty for 1358 01:26:22,280 --> 01:26:28,080 Speaker 2: the songwriters is in particular, their royalties are regulated by 1359 01:26:28,080 --> 01:26:31,960 Speaker 2: the government. There are hearings that have to be held 1360 01:26:32,240 --> 01:26:37,760 Speaker 2: as to what the streaming rates are for songwriters. Now, 1361 01:26:38,000 --> 01:26:41,960 Speaker 2: don't I don't think that the executives of companies would 1362 01:26:42,000 --> 01:26:45,960 Speaker 2: like their rates set by the government. Uh, And I 1363 01:26:46,000 --> 01:26:49,360 Speaker 2: don't think and songwriters certainly don't. And it's it's they 1364 01:26:49,400 --> 01:26:54,920 Speaker 2: really feel wronged that their future and their livelihood and 1365 01:26:54,960 --> 01:26:58,840 Speaker 2: their income is determined by the government in the sense 1366 01:26:58,880 --> 01:27:01,200 Speaker 2: that you have to has to be hearings on what 1367 01:27:01,240 --> 01:27:08,639 Speaker 2: the royalty rates are for that. Now, in other words, 1368 01:27:09,280 --> 01:27:12,040 Speaker 2: there's a mechanical rate which they're limited as it's been 1369 01:27:12,160 --> 01:27:16,880 Speaker 2: raised a little bit recently. There's the mechanical rate. There 1370 01:27:16,960 --> 01:27:20,240 Speaker 2: is the streaming rates which are regulated, has going up 1371 01:27:20,280 --> 01:27:24,960 Speaker 2: a little bit for them, but it's not the same 1372 01:27:25,040 --> 01:27:28,679 Speaker 2: regular regulation that the artists have. Part of their money, 1373 01:27:28,960 --> 01:27:31,920 Speaker 2: the artist's monies are regulated, but a good portion or 1374 01:27:31,960 --> 01:27:34,880 Speaker 2: not a good portion with the record companies where they 1375 01:27:34,880 --> 01:27:37,719 Speaker 2: can make a lot of money amount of money depending 1376 01:27:37,800 --> 01:27:41,360 Speaker 2: upon their deal. So the songwriters had the biggest complaint 1377 01:27:41,439 --> 01:27:43,439 Speaker 2: to make it this particular point because of all the 1378 01:27:43,479 --> 01:27:48,280 Speaker 2: regulations that their income is regulated by the government or 1379 01:27:48,520 --> 01:27:50,400 Speaker 2: our government decree. I should say. 1380 01:27:50,960 --> 01:27:55,639 Speaker 1: Prior to the digital era royalties, the record companies never 1381 01:27:55,680 --> 01:27:58,760 Speaker 1: paid one hundred percent on the royalties, and if you 1382 01:27:58,960 --> 01:28:03,639 Speaker 1: did audit it cost you a fortune. There was a window. 1383 01:28:04,360 --> 01:28:07,840 Speaker 1: If they found money, they settled. What's the status of 1384 01:28:07,880 --> 01:28:10,200 Speaker 1: the honesty of payments these days? 1385 01:28:15,040 --> 01:28:19,040 Speaker 2: Okay, let me answer it this way. I've never taken 1386 01:28:19,120 --> 01:28:22,639 Speaker 2: an audit. I'm not going to respond to the word honesty. 1387 01:28:23,280 --> 01:28:25,600 Speaker 2: I've never taken an audit of any company where we 1388 01:28:25,720 --> 01:28:33,320 Speaker 2: haven't found money. Okay? Is it mistakes? Is misallocation? What 1389 01:28:33,520 --> 01:28:39,200 Speaker 2: is it we always find bundy? Okay. I've never claimed 1390 01:28:39,200 --> 01:28:43,320 Speaker 2: that they're dishonest. Okay. There are so many ways that 1391 01:28:43,400 --> 01:28:47,400 Speaker 2: money can be calculated in a recording contract, and so 1392 01:28:47,479 --> 01:28:50,040 Speaker 2: many It comes in from so many sources, in so 1393 01:28:50,120 --> 01:28:53,360 Speaker 2: many ways, through so many departments of the record company. 1394 01:28:54,000 --> 01:28:58,840 Speaker 2: It's not so simple. And mistakes are made. Are they 1395 01:28:58,840 --> 01:29:02,120 Speaker 2: pretty good to correct the mistakes when you order and 1396 01:29:02,200 --> 01:29:06,519 Speaker 2: find them? Yes? Are they fighting you on these things? 1397 01:29:06,560 --> 01:29:11,120 Speaker 2: They'll fight because are the interpretation of the language. But generally, 1398 01:29:11,720 --> 01:29:13,960 Speaker 2: I have ever taken it long where we didn't find 1399 01:29:14,000 --> 01:29:16,439 Speaker 2: money and then we didn't settle. I've never had a 1400 01:29:16,560 --> 01:29:19,519 Speaker 2: suit one of these companies, never have had the sue 1401 01:29:19,520 --> 01:29:22,479 Speaker 2: one of these companies. We always resolve it. Are there 1402 01:29:22,520 --> 01:29:26,840 Speaker 2: things in there that we challenged that we never resolved? Yeah, 1403 01:29:26,920 --> 01:29:31,639 Speaker 2: there are some items like interest you really can get 1404 01:29:31,680 --> 01:29:35,160 Speaker 2: interest from them. Or foreign taxes is another thing. You 1405 01:29:35,200 --> 01:29:40,360 Speaker 2: always fight about whether they could have deducted from taxes 1406 01:29:40,360 --> 01:29:45,320 Speaker 2: paid in the United States, et cetera. But I can't 1407 01:29:45,320 --> 01:29:48,519 Speaker 2: say they've been dishonest. But let's say, if there's a question, 1408 01:29:48,640 --> 01:29:51,640 Speaker 2: of course, they're going to take a favorable interpretation. And 1409 01:29:51,760 --> 01:29:54,000 Speaker 2: a lot of these things are our questions as to 1410 01:29:54,040 --> 01:29:56,599 Speaker 2: where it belongs or what it is, or have they 1411 01:29:56,720 --> 01:30:03,240 Speaker 2: allocated it right. But I've settled every audit. I've never 1412 01:30:03,280 --> 01:30:06,439 Speaker 2: had to sue them. Did we get one hundred percent 1413 01:30:06,439 --> 01:30:09,040 Speaker 2: of what our claims in? No, we've never gotten one 1414 01:30:09,120 --> 01:30:12,760 Speaker 2: hundred percent of our claim claims in, but sufficient to 1415 01:30:12,920 --> 01:30:14,000 Speaker 2: satisfy the client. 1416 01:30:15,240 --> 01:30:18,599 Speaker 1: Okay, just switching to the live business for one second. 1417 01:30:20,200 --> 01:30:24,559 Speaker 1: Lawyers are heavily involved in negotiating tour deals. At this point, 1418 01:30:24,880 --> 01:30:27,760 Speaker 1: to what degree are you involved in that and what 1419 01:30:27,920 --> 01:30:29,160 Speaker 1: is the state of the business. 1420 01:30:30,200 --> 01:30:33,960 Speaker 2: Yes, we are true to a large degree the agent's 1421 01:30:34,400 --> 01:30:38,599 Speaker 2: run point on the tour deals. The agents are very 1422 01:30:38,760 --> 01:30:41,479 Speaker 2: They're all very good. All the agencies are very good 1423 01:30:41,520 --> 01:30:44,800 Speaker 2: at that. They've got a lot of experience. But we 1424 01:30:44,520 --> 01:30:50,920 Speaker 2: were there going over the scene, questioning. I'm monitoring it, 1425 01:30:51,320 --> 01:30:56,840 Speaker 2: putting our opinion on whether they it's certain items and 1426 01:30:56,840 --> 01:31:00,519 Speaker 2: the things that but we work alongside managers and agents 1427 01:31:00,560 --> 01:31:02,200 Speaker 2: and those things, not alone. 1428 01:31:02,840 --> 01:31:07,000 Speaker 1: And what's the status of insurance for cancelation of gigs 1429 01:31:07,000 --> 01:31:07,880 Speaker 1: for whatever reason? 1430 01:31:07,920 --> 01:31:12,920 Speaker 2: Today there's insurance that we try and maintain. I have 1431 01:31:13,120 --> 01:31:16,800 Speaker 2: not had a problem, not with not getting insured. We've 1432 01:31:16,840 --> 01:31:17,880 Speaker 2: always had insurance. 1433 01:31:19,640 --> 01:31:23,679 Speaker 1: Okay. To what degree has your practice of law been 1434 01:31:23,720 --> 01:31:26,920 Speaker 1: all consuming and to what degree it has affected your 1435 01:31:26,960 --> 01:31:27,679 Speaker 1: family life? 1436 01:31:29,680 --> 01:31:35,640 Speaker 2: Huh? I hadn't had a negative because I have. I've 1437 01:31:35,680 --> 01:31:38,240 Speaker 2: been married a long time. She was a musician, he 1438 01:31:38,320 --> 01:31:44,519 Speaker 2: is a musician herself. She's very, very understanding. So it's 1439 01:31:44,520 --> 01:31:49,920 Speaker 2: never been a problem with my wife. We've been married 1440 01:31:50,000 --> 01:31:55,320 Speaker 2: fifty some other year, fifty three years. That's not been 1441 01:31:55,360 --> 01:31:57,600 Speaker 2: a problem. But the business is all If you're going 1442 01:31:57,640 --> 01:31:59,880 Speaker 2: to do this business and do it right, whether you're 1443 01:31:59,880 --> 01:32:04,880 Speaker 2: a lawyer or an agent or a manager, it is 1444 01:32:04,920 --> 01:32:07,360 Speaker 2: all consuming. It takes a lot of time. It's not 1445 01:32:07,400 --> 01:32:11,639 Speaker 2: a nine to five job. It's weekends, not all weekends, 1446 01:32:11,640 --> 01:32:16,920 Speaker 2: but it's weekends, it's nights, it's during your vacation, etc. 1447 01:32:17,560 --> 01:32:19,760 Speaker 2: It goes with the territory. We don't think about it 1448 01:32:19,840 --> 01:32:22,280 Speaker 2: because we don't. It's just our job. It's just our 1449 01:32:22,360 --> 01:32:24,280 Speaker 2: job to do it, and we find a way to 1450 01:32:24,320 --> 01:32:24,599 Speaker 2: do it. 1451 01:32:24,840 --> 01:32:26,120 Speaker 1: And how did you meet your wife? 1452 01:32:27,439 --> 01:32:31,640 Speaker 2: I met her backstage at the Greek Theater. I was 1453 01:32:31,680 --> 01:32:34,559 Speaker 2: representing a featured act at that time, and she was 1454 01:32:34,640 --> 01:32:37,160 Speaker 2: joining the opening act. 1455 01:32:37,600 --> 01:32:42,479 Speaker 1: Okay, now you are in your nineties. I don't know 1456 01:32:42,520 --> 01:32:47,599 Speaker 1: whether you're comfortable saying your exact age. How much long 1457 01:32:47,600 --> 01:32:47,960 Speaker 1: are you going. 1458 01:32:47,960 --> 01:32:53,040 Speaker 2: To do this? I'm as long as I can. I 1459 01:32:54,000 --> 01:32:56,439 Speaker 2: love my job. I love the people I work with. 1460 01:32:56,600 --> 01:33:01,519 Speaker 2: I love my partners, I love my clients. Uh. As 1461 01:33:01,560 --> 01:33:07,000 Speaker 2: long as I'm healthy and UH can deal with it, 1462 01:33:07,280 --> 01:33:09,920 Speaker 2: I want to do it. I enjoy my I enjoy 1463 01:33:10,000 --> 01:33:11,680 Speaker 2: my work. I look forward to it. I get up 1464 01:33:11,680 --> 01:33:14,000 Speaker 2: every day looking forward to the day, looking forward to 1465 01:33:14,040 --> 01:33:17,439 Speaker 2: the interesting. I'm learning something every day. Why why wouldn't 1466 01:33:17,439 --> 01:33:19,639 Speaker 2: I What what we're gonna do is sit at home? 1467 01:33:19,880 --> 01:33:25,280 Speaker 2: Uh Uh. I enjoyed. I enjoy the clients I work with. 1468 01:33:25,720 --> 01:33:32,080 Speaker 2: I've got doc on wood, terrific clients. Uh uh. Interesting 1469 01:33:32,640 --> 01:33:38,160 Speaker 2: interesting issues. I'm learning something new every day. Uh. I 1470 01:33:38,280 --> 01:33:41,040 Speaker 2: never know enough. There's no way to know enough about 1471 01:33:41,040 --> 01:33:43,840 Speaker 2: this business. There's always something to learn every single day. 1472 01:33:44,760 --> 01:33:48,599 Speaker 2: Uh Uh. It keeps you going. I think it keeps 1473 01:33:48,640 --> 01:33:49,000 Speaker 2: you going. 1474 01:33:50,560 --> 01:33:54,000 Speaker 1: Okay, this is a business that a lot of people 1475 01:33:54,000 --> 01:33:56,160 Speaker 1: and this is a thing in general today they talk 1476 01:33:56,160 --> 01:33:59,680 Speaker 1: about in sports where people don't understand the history. What 1477 01:33:59,760 --> 01:34:04,519 Speaker 1: the young people not know about the entertainment business that 1478 01:34:04,600 --> 01:34:05,360 Speaker 1: they should know? 1479 01:34:08,479 --> 01:34:15,360 Speaker 2: No? No, well, okay, what the what it's It's a business. Okay, 1480 01:34:15,400 --> 01:34:18,519 Speaker 2: it's a serious business. It's not fun and games. It's 1481 01:34:18,520 --> 01:34:22,120 Speaker 2: a serious business. I guess learn your business. Learn learn 1482 01:34:22,160 --> 01:34:27,080 Speaker 2: what learn what you're in here was just not just law. Uh, 1483 01:34:27,960 --> 01:34:32,040 Speaker 2: it's not just accounting. It's it's a business. Learn the business. Uh, 1484 01:34:32,400 --> 01:34:35,040 Speaker 2: learned everything about it. There's no end to it, and 1485 01:34:35,080 --> 01:34:39,120 Speaker 2: it changes on every changes on a daily basis. Who 1486 01:34:39,200 --> 01:34:41,519 Speaker 2: knew that not that long ago? About streaming? Who know 1487 01:34:41,640 --> 01:34:46,040 Speaker 2: anything about streaming and what it is and where it's 1488 01:34:46,080 --> 01:34:48,120 Speaker 2: going and what is developed? Who knew was going to 1489 01:34:48,160 --> 01:34:51,040 Speaker 2: take over the took over the business? When I first 1490 01:34:51,080 --> 01:34:53,960 Speaker 2: got into this business, there was the contract I think 1491 01:34:54,000 --> 01:34:55,960 Speaker 2: I mentioned earlier. It was three pages. It was three 1492 01:34:56,000 --> 01:34:58,320 Speaker 2: pages long, get a Capitol Records contract. The first way 1493 01:34:58,320 --> 01:35:01,920 Speaker 2: I looked at that was three pages. It dealt with 1494 01:35:02,000 --> 01:35:09,040 Speaker 2: forty fives and thirty three and seventy eight's. We're a 1495 01:35:09,720 --> 01:35:12,920 Speaker 2: little ways from that, and it's been exciting. It's an 1496 01:35:12,960 --> 01:35:15,200 Speaker 2: exciting venture to go along to learn these things and 1497 01:35:15,240 --> 01:35:17,360 Speaker 2: see what people come up with and new and now 1498 01:35:17,360 --> 01:35:19,559 Speaker 2: we're going into AI and what do we deal with that? 1499 01:35:19,800 --> 01:35:21,439 Speaker 2: How are we dealing with that? So we're lucky we're 1500 01:35:21,439 --> 01:35:27,240 Speaker 2: studying that, trying to learn AI, trying to learn what 1501 01:35:27,320 --> 01:35:31,360 Speaker 2: it means, and how to prevent rip off of our 1502 01:35:31,439 --> 01:35:35,800 Speaker 2: client's voices and things of that nature. And we don't 1503 01:35:35,800 --> 01:35:37,800 Speaker 2: want licensing. We have to be careful with life. We 1504 01:35:37,800 --> 01:35:40,640 Speaker 2: don't want our product license into AI without our permission, 1505 01:35:40,680 --> 01:35:43,200 Speaker 2: without knowing exactly what it is. And we've got to 1506 01:35:43,280 --> 01:35:46,640 Speaker 2: learn all about that. You're constantly learning. Learning is what 1507 01:35:46,760 --> 01:35:50,000 Speaker 2: keeps you going, not sitting on your rear end at 1508 01:35:50,000 --> 01:35:51,000 Speaker 2: home reading a book. 1509 01:35:53,320 --> 01:35:57,320 Speaker 1: Okay, Jay, you're you know, you're amazing, as sharp as ever. 1510 01:35:58,000 --> 01:35:59,800 Speaker 1: You've seen it all and I want to thank you 1511 01:35:59,840 --> 01:36:02,640 Speaker 1: for taking this time to share your wisdom and your 1512 01:36:02,680 --> 01:36:03,799 Speaker 1: story with my audience. 1513 01:36:04,040 --> 01:36:07,400 Speaker 2: Well, well, thank you. Uh it's been It's been a 1514 01:36:07,439 --> 01:36:10,800 Speaker 2: real pleasure. I just wanted to finish with one thing. 1515 01:36:11,160 --> 01:36:15,439 Speaker 2: We started off with Rod Temperton. Then, Uh, as I 1516 01:36:15,479 --> 01:36:17,040 Speaker 2: told you on the phone. I think we told you 1517 01:36:17,080 --> 01:36:19,880 Speaker 2: on the phone. The most amazing thing about Rod is 1518 01:36:20,640 --> 01:36:25,240 Speaker 2: when Quincy heard the When Quincy heard the the recording 1519 01:36:25,320 --> 01:36:29,160 Speaker 2: is by heat Wave. Uh, and he called Rod Temperton, 1520 01:36:29,560 --> 01:36:33,240 Speaker 2: and Rod Temperton came into came in here. First song 1521 01:36:33,360 --> 01:36:39,519 Speaker 2: Rod wrote was off the Wall. Uh, it's extraordinary. And 1522 01:36:39,560 --> 01:36:42,559 Speaker 2: then the next thing he wrote that was the next thing, 1523 01:36:42,720 --> 01:36:45,160 Speaker 2: or a couple of songs later he wrote was for 1524 01:36:45,200 --> 01:36:49,640 Speaker 2: the next album, Thriller. He wrote, thriller. Uh, it's extraordinary. 1525 01:36:49,680 --> 01:36:53,040 Speaker 2: It's this little guy from from the north of England 1526 01:36:53,200 --> 01:36:56,479 Speaker 2: who came out of nowhere. 1527 01:36:59,200 --> 01:37:02,720 Speaker 1: Well, okay, so when someone walks in your office, do 1528 01:37:02,800 --> 01:37:04,720 Speaker 1: you know who's gonna make it? And now how big 1529 01:37:04,760 --> 01:37:05,320 Speaker 1: they're gonna be? 1530 01:37:05,920 --> 01:37:08,519 Speaker 2: No, you don't know. You don't know. You can guess. 1531 01:37:09,000 --> 01:37:10,920 Speaker 2: You can guess as to who's not gonna make it. 1532 01:37:13,280 --> 01:37:16,000 Speaker 2: You can guess who's not gonna make it. But when 1533 01:37:16,040 --> 01:37:19,559 Speaker 2: somebody comes in with songs like he wrote with heat 1534 01:37:19,560 --> 01:37:24,720 Speaker 2: Wave as an example as an example, you you know, 1535 01:37:25,040 --> 01:37:28,719 Speaker 2: you know it's only a matter of time, and I've 1536 01:37:28,720 --> 01:37:31,680 Speaker 2: had that experience with a number of artists and songwriters. 1537 01:37:32,080 --> 01:37:33,719 Speaker 2: You come in and you hear some of that stuff, 1538 01:37:33,720 --> 01:37:36,520 Speaker 2: you say, there's no problem here. 1539 01:37:39,800 --> 01:37:43,400 Speaker 1: Okay Jay, Thanks again, many more years of practice for you. 1540 01:37:43,520 --> 01:37:45,160 Speaker 2: Thank you, Thank you doctor. 1541 01:37:45,880 --> 01:37:48,479 Speaker 1: Until next time, This is Bob left sex